The nautical history of the North Fork will come alive Sept. 21 and 22 as the East End Seaport Museum’s 34th Annual Maritime Festival takes over Greenport. The annual event includes a colorful Merry Merfolk Parade, street fair, boat races, over 100 vendors throughout the village, local food and drink, live music, maritime demonstrations and classic boats on display.
This year, the Ernestina-Morrissey tall ship will be docked in Greenport for the festival and through Monday, Sept. 23. According to a press release, the SSV Ernestina-Morrissey was built in 1894 at the James and Tarr Shipyard for the Gloucester fishing fleet. As well as being a fishing ship, the Ernestina-Morrissey also sailed within 600 miles of the North Pole, and later brought immigrants to the U.S. from Europe. Returning to the United States in 1982 as a gift from the newly independent West African nation of Cape Verde, the ship sailed as an educational vessel until 2005.
Deck tours of the Ernestina-Morrissey will be available throughout the weekend.
Check out the full weekend’s events:
Saturday, Sept. 21
- 10 a.m. — Festival opens
- 10 a.m.–5 p.m. — Tall Ship deck tours at Commercial Dock (100 3rd St.)
- 10 a.m.–5 p.m. — Delilah the Life-Sized Whale (Mitchell Park)
- 10 a.m.–5 p.m. — Maritime demonstrations at U.S. Coast Guard tent
- 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. — Kids’ events at Captain Kidd’s Alley (Mitchell Park)
- 11 a.m. — Merry Merfolk Parade (Starting at Broad and Main streets and ending at Front and 3rd streets)
- 11:45 a.m., 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m. — Pirate Kids (Mitchell Park stage)
- noon — Merry Merfolk contest (Mitchell Park stage)
- noon–2 p.m. — Kids’ games (Mitchell Park)
- noon–5 p.m. — Points East performs (Main St.)
- 1–2 p.m. — Bangers and Mash performs (Mitchell Park stage)
- 1–4 p.m. — Story time with Nina (Mitchell Park)
- 1:30 p.m. — F/V Illusion, working fishing boat (Commercial Dock)
- 2 p.m. — Kayak races registration (waterfront)
- 2:30–3:30 p.m. — Bangers and Mash performs (Mitchell Park stage)
- 3 p.m. — Kayak races begin
- 4–5 p.m. — Bangers and Mash performs (Mitchell Park stage)
- 5 p.m. — Festival closes
Sunday, Sept. 22
- 10 a.m. — Festival opens
- 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Paul — Drum Pirate & Mermaid Breakfast (Front Street Station)
- 10 a.m.–5 p.m. — Tall Ship deck tours at Commercial Dock (100 3rd St.)
- 10 a.m. — Cardboard Boat Regatta check-in (waterfront)
- 10 a.m.–5 p.m. — Delilah the Life-Sized Whale (Mitchell Park)
- 10 a.m.–5 p.m. — Maritime demonstrations at U.S. Coast Guard tent
- 10:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. — Kids’ events at Captain Kidd’s Alley (Mitchell Park)
- 11:30 a.m. — F/V Illusion: working fishing boat (Commercial Dock)
- 11:45 a.m.–noon — Pirate kids (Mitchell Park stage)
- 1 p.m. — Who Are Those Guys performs (Main St.)
- 1–1:45 p.m. — Sea shanties with Fiddler’s Green (Mitchell Park stage)
- 1 p.m. — Cardboard boat regatta
- 1:45–2:15 p.m. — Pirate Kids (Mitchell Park stage)
- 1–2 p.m. — Snapper fishing contest, ages 8 and under (Commercial Dock)
- 2–3 p.m. — Snapper fishing contest, ages 9 to 16 (Commercial Dock)
- 2:15–3 p.m. — Sea shanties with Fiddler’s Green (Mitchell Park stage)
- 3 p.m. — Regatta winners awards (Mitchell Park stage)
- 3:45–4 p.m. — Pirate Kids (Mitchell Park stage)
- 4 p.m. — Greenport Fire Department raffle (near Colonial Drugs)
- 4:30 p.m. — ELIH Foundation Dream Green raffle drawing (ELIH OpShop)
- 5 p.m. Festival ends
