Fleet Week


Fleet Week (Hampton Roads, Virginia)

OctoberThe Hampton Roads area of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina features one of the world's largest natural harbors. The cities of Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Newport News are located here. The U.S. Navy, Marines, Air Force, and Army have facilities in the area, as does NASA.
The Hampton Roads community sponsors an annual Fleet Week to honor the military personnel who are stationed in the area for the work they perform on behalf of the nation. The event is also a celebration of the U.S. Navy's official birthday in October.
Among the Fleet Week activities are a 5K run, a golf tournament, free outdoor music concerts, a chili cook-off, a family day at Norfolk's Town Point Park, and a half marathon run. Military personnel attend the music concerts for free. The Virginia Zoo offers special programming at this time, also free to military personnel and their families.
Local motorcycle enthusiasts sponsor the "Rumble through the Tunnels," a fundraiser in which hundreds of motorcycles ride through several of Hampton Roads tunnels.
Fleet Week ends with a parade of ships and planes along the downtown Norfolk waterfront. Navy tugs spray water into the air, helicopters fly overhead, and frigates, submarines, and landing craft sail by.
CONTACTS:
Department of the Navy
1200 Navy Pentagon
Room 4B463
Washington, D.C. 20350-1200
www.navy.mil/swf/index.asp

Celebrated in: Virginia

Fleet Week (New York City)MayTo give citizens of New York City the chance to meet Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine personnel firsthand, the Navy has sponsored an annual Fleet Week since 1987.
During the week-long event the public is allowed to tour Navy and Coast Guard vessels, including amphibious assault vessels, destroyers, and cruisers. They can also view fighter jets, helicopters, aerial refueler tankers, anti-submarine trackers, bombers, and cargo planes.
As part of the event, personnel from the Marines, Coast Guard, and Navy learn from each other and from New York's police and firefighters. In 2007, Marines toured the Fire Academy at Randall's Island and learned about the training courses for New York City firefighters. Navy sailors toured the New York Police Department's Aviation unit at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn. The police aviation unit handles air-sea rescues and provides aerial back-up for the city's police. Sailors, along with members of the New York Jets football team, also visited Project Hope, a nonprofit organization that provides inner-city families with food, resources, and counseling.
CONTACTS:
Fleet Week New York City
www.fleetweek.navy.mil
Official New York City Web site
www.nyc.gov/portal/site/nycgov/?front_door=true
Fleet Week (San Diego, California)SeptemberIn 1997, community and business organizations in San Diego, Calif., organized the first Fleet Week to honor the sailors and marines who are stationed in that city. Service personnel are thanked for "Serving America Twice," as military personnel and as volunteer workers in the San Diego community. A large number of the sailors and marines use their free time to work as volunteer firefighters, scout leaders, coaches for youth teams, or in other community service positions. By 2001, the annual event was taken over by the newly formed San Diego Fleet Week Foundation. While called a "week," the San Diego Fleet Week lasts for more than a month, with various activities around the city.
San Diego Fleet Week begins with the Port of San Diego Sea and Air Parade featuring Navy aircraft carriers, destroyers, cruisers, submarines, amphibious craft, and frigates, as well as Coast Guard cutters. Military jets and helicopters fly overhead. Some 100,000 people turn out to watch the parade. Later, naval ships docked at Broadway Pier are open to visitors.
The Marine Corps sponsors a one-day boot camp for civilians interested in experiencing the obstacle course and drill fields used by real recruits. The Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Air Show features vintage airplanes as well as the latest in military aviation. Some 200 booths offer hands-on displays. An evening fireworks display ends the air show.
San Diego State University holds the Fleet Week Football Classic in which their football team plays the U.S. Air Force Academy team.
CONTACTS:
Fleet Week San Diego
5330 Napa St.
San Diego, CA 92110
800-353-3893
www.fleetweeksandiego.org

Celebrated in: California

Fleet Week (San Francisco, California)OctoberTo celebrate the men and women who serve in America's armed forces, San Francisco has held an annual Fleet Week since 1981.
The week-long event features members of the U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and Marines. After a parade of ships, the public is allowed to visit a number of Navy and Coast Guard vessels docked in San Francisco Bay. In 2007, the Coast Guard demonstrated their search and rescue capabilities. In 2008, aerial shows will feature the Navy's Blue Angels precision flight team, the Canadian Air Force's Snowbirds flight team, and Team Oracle. Other Air Force and Navy aircraft have also participated in Fleet Week, including fighter aircraft and historic planes. There have also been fireworks displays over San Francisco Bay.
CONTACTS:
San Francisco Fleet Week
650-599-5057
www.military.com/fleetweek
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Celebrated in: California