About Windjammer Days in Boothbay Harbor, Maine.

DESCRIPTION:

Windjammer Days in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, celebrates the region's rich maritime heritage. The event features a variety of maritime-themed activities, including the centerpiece event, the "Parade of Sails." 

The Windjammer Days festival has been a tradition in Boothbay Harbor since the early 1960s and has grown to include a wide range of activities and events, such as:
 

• Parade of Sail: The main event, where windjammers and other sailing vessels parade through Boothbay Harbor, offering a unique and beautiful sight for visitors and locals alike.
• Concerts and Live Music: The festival often features live music performances by local and regional artists, with genres ranging from traditional maritime tunes to contemporary styles.
• Arts and Crafts Show: Local artisans display and sell their work, including paintings, sculptures, jewelry, and other handmade items.
• Street Parade: A traditional street parade occurs during the festival, featuring marching bands, floats, and local organizations.
• Fireworks: A spectacular fireworks display is held over the harbor, lighting up the sky and providing an exciting end to the celebrations.
• Boat Races and Regattas: Various sailing races and regattas occur during the festival, including races for small boats and other watercraft.
• Children's Activities: The festival offers a variety of activities and events geared toward children, such as face painting, games, and storytelling.
• Tours and Exhibitions: During Windjammer Days, visitors can take tours of the historic windjammers and other ships and attend exhibitions and lectures on maritime history and culture.

The Windjammer Days festival is a popular event that draws visitors from all over the United States and beyond, offering a chance to appreciate Boothbay Harbor's maritime heritage, enjoy local art and music, and participate in various family-friendly activities. 

ABOUT THE PARADE OF SAILS, A GLOBAL TRADITION 

The Parade of Sails is a maritime event that showcases tall ships and other sailing vessels in a celebratory procession, often held as part of prominent maritime festivals or regattas. These events promote maritime heritage, foster international goodwill, and allow the public to learn about and appreciate historic and modern sailing ships. 

In a typical Parade of Sails, participating vessels sail in a coordinated procession, usually along a waterfront, allowing spectators to witness the beauty and grandeur of these ships up close. The parade often includes tall ships, which are large, traditionally-rigged sailing vessels, and other sailing ships, like classic yachts, naval vessels, and replicas of historic ships. 

Some of the most famous Parade of Sails events are part of larger festivals, such as:
  

• Sail Amsterdam, Netherlands: Held every five years, Sail Amsterdam is one of the most significant maritime events in the world, drawing millions of spectators and featuring hundreds of ships from around the globe.
• Tall Ships Races: Organized annually by Sail Training International, the Tall Ships Races are a series of races and events held in European waters that promote sail training and international friendship.
• OpSail: Short for Operation Sail, OpSail is an American event held periodically (roughly once a decade) to celebrate maritime history and foster international goodwill. 

The event has featured multiple parades of sails in various US ports, with the most recent one held in 2012 to commemorate the bicentennial of the War of 1812 and the writing of the US national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner." These events offer a unique opportunity for people to learn about maritime history, experience the beauty of sailing vessels, and engage with sailors from different countries and cultures. 

PLEASE NOTE: Treat all televised and venue-specific events (sporting, concerts, trade shows, etc.) as estimated. Several factors can cause an event to move dates at the last minute, including weather, strikes, natural disasters, political upheaval, conflicting programming, pandemics, and current events. Because of this, always verify the event with the promotor before committing resources. LEEP often estimates dates based on the previous year's schedules, as the final dates are only a few months, weeks, or days before the event. If the date is known to be estimated, you will see an (est) following the date in the title.