2008 FESTIVAL OF SAIL AT THE PORT OF LOS ANGELES

maritime museum

The majestic TallShips return to the Port of Los Angeles at 10 a.m. on Friday, August 15 with a grand parade of sail into port to kick off Festival of Sail LA 2008. More than a dozen ships will be participating, including the US Coast Guard’s Class A Barque Eagle and two ships featured in major Hollywood films.

Visitors will be able to board these vessels for a hands-on tour from the crew. There will be dockside demonstrations, maritime-themed entertainment including shanty bands and an educational area for young and old alike. Parking at various locations around the Port will be available free of charge as will be the shuttles running from the lots to the event sites. Food will be available for purchase on site and a wide variety of specialty restaurants in San Pedro are close enough to walk to from the event.

The Festival of Sail LA 2008 is part of the American Sail Training Association’s TallShips Challenge which features TallShips sailing down the west coast from Canada to San Diego. This event takes place on the West Coast on a three-year cycle and when the event last hit the Port of Los Angeles in 2005 more than a quarter of a million people visited the ships over a three-day period bringing an unprecedented number of weekend visitors to San Pedro. Festival of Sail 2008 is sponsored by the Port of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Maritime Institute, home of the TopSail Youth Sail Training Program.

SCHEDULE

Friday, August 15, 2008
10 a.m. – Grand Parade of Sail
Noon to 7 p.m. – Ship Viewing, Children's Activities & Booths Open
8 p.m. – “Mutiny on the Bounty” Movie Showing at the Warner Grand Theatre, San Pedro

Saturday, August 16, 2008
11 a.m. to 7 p.m. – Ship Viewing, Entertainment, Children’s Activities & Booths Open
8 p.m. – “Master & Commander” Movie Showing at the Warner Grand Theatre, San Pedro

Sunday, August 17, 2008
11 a.m. to 7 p.m. – Ship Viewing, Entertainment, Children’s Activities & Booths Open
2 p.m. – “SpongeBob Square Pants: the Movie” Showing at the Warner Grand Theatre, San Pedro
4 p.m. – “Hook” Movie Showing at the Warner Grand Theatre, San Pedro

Rounding-out the weekend of ship-related activities will be special showings of movies at the historic Warner Grand Theatre, put on by the Grand Vision Foundation, featuring two of the ships in the Festival of Sail. The HMS Bounty is featured in the classic 1962 version of “Mutiny on the Bounty” starring Marlon Brando and can be toured first-hand during the Festival. The HMS Surprise is featured in “Master and Commander” starring Russell Crowe and also can be toured during the Festival. Other movies scheduled during the weekend include “SpongeBob Square Pants the Movie” and “Hook.” Admission to each film is only $5 and the theatre is an easy walk from the Festival.

Souvenir logbooks will be available for $5, which describe each vessel in detail and have a place for each ship to place a commemorative stamp when the vessel is toured. Proceeds benefit the Los Angeles Maritime Institute.

For more information on the Festival of Sail LA 2008 and TallShips, please visit www.lamitopsail.org or www.sailtraining.org.