Opening Day for boating season, this is the official day of boating season sponsored by the Seattle Yacht Club!
OPENING DAY – in the Montlake Cut, Lake WA Ship Canal
Sponsored by the Seattle Yacht Club, Opening Day is the first official day of the boating season in Seattle. It’s packed with events and entertainment, starting with crew and sailboat races in the early morning followed by the Grand Opening Day Boat Parade. As is tradition, it starts at Noon on Saturday, May 3rd with a cannon blast and the raising of the Montlake bridge. It’s the largest regional celebration of water, spring, and the opening of boating season in the nation!
The theme this year will be “Toys Ahoy,” and the parade will feature Yachts decorated to the theme. If you’re looking to watch, there’s usually two good options: find a good spot on a nearby beach fairly early, or reserve a spot on the log boom on the north side of the parade route. The parade route itself will be closed during the parade, so be sure to plan for that if you’re looking to be out on the water.
The Opening Day tradition goes back to 1920, when the Seattle yacht Club moved to its new (and still current) digs in Portage Bay. A bit more practical than years to come, such as its biggest year ever- 1946, just around the end of World War 2. It included members of every yacht club in Puget Sound and the Royal Vancouver and the Royal Victoria Yacht Clubs from British Columbia, Canada. 1959 marked the first themed year, “Hell’s a Poppin,” which started the tradition of decorating a fleet of yachts for the festivities.
Opening Day Seattle WA, Lots of Steam Boats!
Last year was an 80 degree bright and sunny Opening Day, which brought out nearly every style and make of boat imaginable – powerboats, rowing crews, paddle boats, sailboats, antique boats, wooden classics, kayaks, stand up paddle boarders and superyachts participated in the annual Opening Day parade sponsored by the Seattle Yacht Club. 2013 also added racing shells from top-caliber collegiate and international rowing teams, featuring teams from around the country and world competing in the 2013 Windermere Cup Crew Races.
Opening Day, Lake Union WA
If you’re hungry for a bite to eat afterwards, you might want to consider the nearby Fremont Mobile Food Rodeo. In just three years, it has grown from 25 trucks into the largest food truck food festival in the United States, showcasing over 100 food trucks annually. You’ll be able to enjoy just about any type of food you can imagine (and a few you probably can’t), so it’s very worth your time if you’re looking to do some culinary exploration after a day of maritime exploration.
LETS GO BOATING NW!
We look forward to seeing you on the water this Saturday, May 3rd.
