Maritime Festival 2012 to Focus on Ships, History – But No Fireworks

Over 50,000 people poured into during this past Memorial Day Weekend for the, which brought several historic replicas of 1800s wooden ships into for three days.

And the success of the event inspired planners of the which happens Sept. 21 through Sept. 23, rethink their strategy for their annual end-of-summer event this year, according to Chairman Ron Breuer.

“The Tall Ships definitely had was an influence on this year’s approach to the Maritime Festival,” he said. “We’ve cut the vendors by 50 percent and have added a strong nautical theme across the board.”

In addition to Martime Festival staples like the opening day parade — lead this year by 92-year-old Greenporter and World War II veteran Jack Fisher — the blessing of the waters outside of the , the clam chowder fest, the kayak derby, and ongoing performances from the Kings of the Coast Pirate Troup, this year the historic Greenport jail will be open for tours, the Tall Ship the Lynx will  be docked for tours, and tours to in Orient will be available.

“The streets will be wide open, and we’ll have a pedestrian mall at Front and Main Streets,” Breuer said. “People will be able to walk up and down the streets and enjoy our history.”

But due to stricter government regulations and a longer approval period, you won’t be seeing the traditional fireworks display during the Saturday night of Maritime Festival this year.

“We just didn’t have enough time,” Breuer said. “We’ll have to start filing now for approval for next year.”

See attached PDF for a complete Maritime Festival 2012 schedule of events.