MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Seafair returns with Fleet Week, new Navy VR experience, and more

Aug 1, 2022, 12:32 PM

Seafair vr navy setup...

Photo from the U.S. Navy

The spectacle known as the Boeing Maritime Celebration Seattle Fleet Week returns to Seafair once again after two years of hiatus due to the pandemic, and with it comes a whole slate of events both old and new.

The celebration starts with the Parade of Ships through Elliot Bay, followed by a week of events where the public is invited to meet the sailors and guardsmen, enjoy free music, and take ship tours.

Seattle Seafair announces full force return after two-year pandemic hiatus

Seafair has hosted Fleet Week on the Seattle Waterfront since 1950 in celebration of the men and women who serve our country. This year Seafair, along with Boeing, the Seattle Navy League, and the Port of Seattle, is proud to welcome vessels and personnel from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, and Royal Canadian Navy.

Ninety percent of the consumer products you use every day arrive in the U.S. by way of the ocean. Climb aboard these great ships and see the professional men and women who allow that commerce to flow across the globe to our shores.

With 70% of the earth’s surface covered in water, it takes state-of-the-art technology to protect the world’s waterways.

The Navy band is also on hand to play in the Navy’s Seafair Fleet as it ties up along Seattle’s waterfront at 12:30 p.m. August 1.

The band also marched in Saturday’s Torchlight Parade from the Seattle Center into downtown as did many of the beloved bands, drill teams, local businesses, and other organizations.

The U.S. Navy is also premiering its new virtual reality system called Nimitz, which they call a “mobile, state-of-the-art virtual reality experience that simulates a high-speed extraction of Navy SEALS under fire.”

Participants will be set up with an Oculus headset and a vest called a SubPac, that simulates feeling the sounds of the mission. Using a steering wheel and throttle visitors can navigate using a Navy Special Warfare Combat Craft during the mission.

Nimitz will be housed in an 18-wheeler at Genesee Park from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

Seafair proudly supports all military services and is grateful for its service to our country. In appreciation, Seafair offers free admission to all military personnel to Seafair Festival Weekend on August 5-7, 2022.

Tune in to 88.9 FM KMIH The Bridge for Log Boom Radio to hear coverage of the Parade of Ships and Seafair Weekend Festival.

Monday, August 1
12:00 pm – 12:30 pm – Seattle Fleet Week Seafair Weekend Kickoff (Pier 62)
12:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Parade of Ships and US Coast Guard Search and Rescue Demonstration (Pier 62)
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Live Music and Displays (Pier 62)

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Seafair returns with Fleet Week, new Navy VR experience, and more