Tall Ships Fairport Harbor Kicks off July

A small fleet will be sailing into Ohio’s Fairport Harbor this month as part of the annual Tall Ships Fairport Harbor. This tall ships festival will take place on the shore of Lake Erie from July 7 to 9 and is sponsored by the Fairport Harbor Heritage Foundation.

Tall Ships Fairport Harbor will involve three days of live music and entertainment, artwork from Art in the Park vendors, food and drinks, and of course, a number of tall ships. Attendees can take on-board tours of ships on the festival fairgrounds, or purchase tickets for a 90-minute day sail on a variety of boats. A few vessels confirmed on the lineup include: the Appledore IV, a 1989 boat used today by students to collect water samples; the Madeline, a mid-19th century Great Lakes schooner and official tall ship of Michigan; a U.S. Coast Guard Vessel; and the PA28-16 WW2 Landing Craft.

The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday with a private VIP event from 6 to 9 p.m. Organizers recommend purchasing tickets prior the event to avoid long lines. Attendees may choose between single-day passes, fast pass, multi-day passes, and VIP access. The festival will go on rain or shine.

To purchase tickets, visit tallshipsfairportharbor.com.