International tall ships make a rare Richmond stop
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Dutch tall ship Oosterschelde will port in Richmond. Image: Courtesy of Tom Dixon.
The flotilla of international tall ships sailing up the East Coast have arrived in Richmond.
Why it matters: That means Richmond SailFest — the free, weekend-long festival that's part of the state's 250th anniversary celebration — is here.
Driving the news: Richmond's fest is part of the broader Sail250 event, which has brought dozens of tall ships from across the globe to ports up and down the East and Gulf costs.
- Three of them — The Oosterschelde, Pride of Baltimore II and Virginia — sailed up the James and will be posted up near Dock Street Park through Sunday.
- In celebration of their arrival, the city and the Virginia Museum of History & Culture are throwing a festival along Dock Street and the riverfront from Great Shiplock Park to Rocketts Landing.
- The free festivities start Friday, June 12 at 10:30am and run through Sunday, June 14 at 4pm.
Zoom in: Here's what's on deck.
- ⛵️ Ship tours (they're sold out, but a limited number of tickets will be released each morning here)
- 🎶 Live music ranging from Bio Ritmo and No BS! Brass to the Richmond Symphony and U.S. Fleet Forces Band
- 💃 Live performances of 1800s sea shanties, jump rope, Native American flute, Japanese drums and West African dance
- 📜 Traveling exhibitions from VMHC and historical re-enactors
- 🎨 Live art from Studio Two Three and VMFA's mobile museum
- 🚛 Food trucks and other vendors
- 🎇 Fireworks on Saturday night at 9pm
- 🚣 Paddling workshops from RVA Paddlesports (advance registration recommended)
The fine print: No parking zones will be in effect around the festival and the park parking lots — and Ancarrow's Landing across the river — will also be closed, per the city.
The bottom line: It's shaping up to be a heck of a kickoff party for America's big birthday.