The Cleveland Harborfest, held every third July in downtown Cleveland, is a five-day festival showcasing magnificent tall sailing ships. Activities include ship tours, a ship parade, a kids' discovery area, live entertainment, food, and fun. Visitors can even take a sail-away tour on one of the ships. The next event will be in 2009.
Activities:
The Cleveland Harborfest begins with a Wednesday afternoon parade, as the ships are escorted to the dock. The festival continues Thursday to Sunday with live entertainment, a children's play area, food vendors, a maritime marketplace, and tours of the fabulous ships. In addition, visitors can take a "sail-away" tour in one of the ships for an extra fee. The 2009 dates have yet to be announced.
Ships for 2006:
Twelve ships were showcased for the 2006 Cleveland Harborfest. They included:
- Appledore IV - an 85' schooner from Bay City, Michigan
- Barque Picton Castle - a three-masted barque from Nova Scotia, built in 1928
- US Brig Niagara - the 198' official flagship of Pennsylvania
- Unicorn - a 118' schooner, crafted from salvaged German U-boats during WWII.
- Edward M Cotter - a national historic landmark and the largest working fireboat in the US.
- Providence - a replica of a revolutionary era sloop, featured in the film Pirates of the Caribbean II
- Pride of Baltimore II - a 156' top-sail schooner
Hours and Admission:
Cleveland Harborfest started with a sailing ship parade at 3pm on Wednesday, followed by the opening ceremony at Voinovich Park at 7pm. The festival continued Thursday to Sunday from 930am to 7pm. Ship tours were available 11am to 6pm.2006 Admission was $10 for adults and $8 for those ages 65+ and 5-17. Children under 5 are free. Sail-aways were an additional $27 for adults and $22 for youths (5-17) and seniors (65+). Discounts were offered to Great Lakes Science Center(GLSC) and William G. Mather Museum members.
Passports including admission to the GLSC, William G. Mather, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the Goodtime III are $45.50 for adults and $38.50 for seniors and youth. Passports were valid until July 31.Location and Parking:
Cleveland Harborfest is held at the waterfront in downtown Cleveland, between the E. Ninth Street Pier and Dock 32 (the new home of the William G. Mather).
Parking is available in the Great Lakes Science Center lot as well as the North Point Garage, the Port of Cleveland, and the Cleveland Municipal Lot on Marginal Rd.Hotels near Cleveland Harborfest:
The Embassy Suites(check rates) in downtown Cleveland and the Days Inn in Independence (check rates), just south of downtown are offering special packages for the Cleveland Harborfest. Other hotels within walking distance to Cleveland Harborfest include the Holiday Inn Lakeside (check rates) and the Marriott Key Center (check rates).
(Last updated on 1-29-08)
