Maryland Fleet Week and Flyover Baltimore

Every two years, Baltimore's waterfront hosts Maryland Fleet Week, a celebration of the Chesapeake Bay's rich maritime history and our nation's military traditions. This year, with the addition of Flyover Baltimore, visitors can participate in an exciting lineup of activities in the air, on land and at sea including guided ship tours, military demonstrations, flyovers, festivals and more. Plan your trip for September 7-13 and stay with us at Rachael's Dowry B&B. Our historic inn is just minutes from Baltimore's Inner Harbor, where the Fleet Week festivities are concentrated.

During this week-long event, U.S. and foreign naval ships and other working and historic vessels will dock at various locations: Inner Harbor, Fells Point, Port Covington and North Locust Point. See the inner workings of these massive ships when you climb aboard for free tours on and below deck. In addition to Baltimore’s own historic ships like the USS Constellation and Chesapeake, you can see U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessels, Canadian and British naval ships, the USS Torsk submarine, Denmark’s tall ship Danmark, and several others that will begin to enter the Harbor on September 7. Tours will be open from Sept 8-12, 10am to 5pm daily.

All around the Inner Harbor military aircraft soar and maneuver overhead in a series of flyovers and demonstrations throughout the week. The Blue Angels in historic planes and the modern F22’s truly are impressive with their acrobatic capability and speed. There are also helicopter flyovers and demonstrations of water rescues that let you appreciate just how talented our military pilots are. Head over to Martin State Airport, where you can watch the jets take off and land on the tarmac. The airport also is hosting an open house with ground displays, historic planes, interactive exhibits, food and live entertainment.                                                       

After the fleets and the flights come the festivals! Two Fleet Week festivals – one at West Shore Park and one at Port Covington – are free, family-oriented fun. These lively scenes include music, food and drinks, a children's area, historical and educational exhibits, demonstrations, vendors, and special events.

The tradition of Fleet Week dates back to 1935 in San Diego. It's when active military ships dock at a city for a week so the crews can enjoy some R&R exploring the host city. At the same time, civilians are invited to tour the ships and see military demonstrations and air shows. Fleet Weeks are held in port cities all across the country including San Diego, Seattle, New York City and Fort Lauderdale, but we might be a little biased to say that Maryland's Fleet Week here in Baltimore is the best of them all!