Event Overview
The Blessing of the Fleet has been a South County tradition for thirty-five
consecutive years. What began as a ceremony to ask for "Divine Protection" of
those who risk their lives harvesting the sea has blossomed into one of Rhode
Island’s most popular weekend-long events.
The Weekend events include:
§ New This year 1st Annual Car Show on Blessing of the
Fleet Weekend
§ A ten-mile road race involving almost 3,000 runners
§ A seafood festival attended by almost 30,000 people
§ The Blessing of the Fleet that is the original reason for the event
ALL PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT LIONS' CHARITIES
Ten Mile Road Race:
Approximately 3,000 runners, walkers and wheelchair entrants compete on a
scenic and certified 10-mile course through historic Narragansett, ending at
"The Towers" on the ocean (immediately adjacent to Seafood Festival -see below).
Runners receive official Blessing of the Fleet T-Shirts as well as prizes.
Generally held on the last weekend in July each year, the event is "kicked off"
with a scenic, 10-mile road race on Friday evening. The course, which winds its
way through historic Narragansett, is officially sanctioned and listed as one of
the top three races of its distance in New England. More than 3,000 runners
competed in 2006, hailing from all over New England, across the country and
around the world. The race's finish line is by "The Towers" in Narragansett,
next to the Atlantic Ocean and Veterans Memorial Park, site of the Blessing of
the Fleet Seafood Festival.
Ten-Mile Road Race Schedule
Start: Narragansett High School, South Pier Road
Friday, July 24
5:00 pm for walkers;
5:15 pm for wheelchairs; and
6:00 pm for runners
Finish: The Towers, Ocean Road
Seafood
Festival
Attended by almost 30,000 people each year, the Seafood Festival is a
major part of the weekend event.
The Festival, which runs Friday night, Saturday and Saturday night, features a
wide variety of culinary delights from the sea (and quite a few from the shore
as well). Beer and wine are available for adults, as well as soft drinks and
lemonade for the whole family.
Live music performed by a very popular local band provides entertainment
as well as the opportunity to dance away the calories. Complete lobster dinners
with all of the accompaniments, linguini with clam sauce, barbecued shrimp, a
raw bar, stuffies, and much, much, more provide the basis for a great meal.
There is also a large variety of entertainment for kids throughout the seafood
festival. Face painting and story telling, karate demonstrations, carnival
rides, and craft booths all make this a true family event for the 25,000 to
30,000 people who attend each year.
Seafood Festival Schedule
Memorial Square (Next to the Towers)
Ocean Road
Friday, July 24, 5:00 to 11:00 pm
Saturday, July 26 , 12:00 noon to 11:00 pm
1ST ANNUAL CAR SHOW ON THE BLESSING OF THE FLEET
WEEKEND
CRUISE TO THE BEACH IN YOUR FAVORITE CLASSIC CAR AND ENJOY OUR SUMMER
BEACH BLAST WITH ITS BREATHTAKING VIEWS AND SCENERY. SHOWOFF YOUR CAR BY THE
OCEAN AND ENJOY THE ATMOSPHERE NARRAGANSETT HAS TO OFFER!
WHERE: FESTIVAL FIELD ON THE GAZEBO LAWN TOWER AT NARRAGANSETT
WHEN: SATURDAY, JULY 25TH, 11 AM TO DUSK
WHAT: FESTIVAL ATMOSPHERE, GREAT FOOD, STROLLING DAYTIME MUSIC, LIVE BAND ON
STAGE AT 8PM
ENTRY FEE: WITH A $10 ENTRY FEE, EACH EXHIBITOR WILL BE GIVEN $10 IN RAFFLE
TICKETS FOR THE BLESSING OF THE FLEET RAFFLE **** APPRECIATION DASH
PLAQUES WILL BE GIVEN TO THE 1ST 150 EXHIBITORS****
Blessing of
the Fleet
The Blessing of the Fleet itself is a spectacularly colorful event that takes
place at noon on Saturday, in Galilee. On a good day, hundreds of vessels line
up to parade past thousands of spectators.
The Blessing features a colorful parade of commercial and recreational
watercraft, large and small. Each parading vessel is blessed by The Bishop with
a group of distinguished clergymen, and judged for prizes in three different
categories by State and local officials.
The Bishop along with local priests bless each and every decorated vessel
as they pass before them and a panel of celebrity judges rate the decorations in
a variety of categories. Recent years' judges included the Governor of RI, the
Lt. Governor, Senator Reed, Congressman Langevin, Miss Rhode Island and other
local dignitaries.
The Blessing of the Fleet Schedule
Port of Galilee
Saturday, July 25
12:00 noon
