Take a ride or just a tour in Pensacola of the famous Tall Ships that travel the globe
The Tall Ships Pensacola Festival returns to Pensacola April 27-30 at Plaza de Luna, and will serve as the final stop on the Tall Ships Challenge Gulf Coast Series, which also includes St. Petersburg and Galveston, Texas.
The Pensacola fleet consists of five ships: the Nao Trinidad from Spain, the Pride of Baltimore II, Ernestina-Morrissey, When and If, and the Glenn L. Swetman.
Tall Ships America welcomed Pensacola into the festival for the first time in 2018, where it was voted "Port of the Year" thanks to its rich maritime history.
The four-day, family-friendly event features sailing adventures, onboard ship tours, food trucks, craft beer, music and a festival marketplace with special events.
The festival will commence with the Parade of Sail and Landing Party on April 27. Three ships will take passengers for the Parade of Sail, with tickets priced at $185, including a four-hour sail, food, drinks and an unlimited three-day ticket to the festival. Landing party tickets are $150.
Buy tickets here: Tall Ships Pensacola festival
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The festival and sail adventures will begin on April 28, with general admission tickets starting at $10 and sail trips starting at $65. Visitors will have the opportunity to tour ships and enjoy sailing excursions or attend special events that include sunset parties, sunrise yoga and more.
Sail Away Adventures include 75-minute day sails and the two-hour sunset sail on either When and If or Glenn L. Swetman. The Pride of Baltimore will offer sunset sails only.
Pensacola is no stranger to tall ships in general.
In January, Sanders Ships, LLC. sailed in its replica of one of Christopher Columbus' famous tall ships, the Pinta, and docked at Plaza de Luna, allowing public self-guided tours.
The Pinta tours as a "sailing museum" to educate the public and school children on the "caravel," a type of Portuguese ship used by Columbus and many early explorers to discover the world.
In June 2022, the Pensacola Navy League docked the U.S. Coast Guard's Barque Eagle tall ship, which coincided with the Fiesta Days celebration, which included the Grand Fiesta Parade and Fiesta Boat Parade.
Tall Ships America is a nonprofit organization dedicated to adventure and education under sail. The Tall Ships Challenge is a series of annual race events organized by Tall Ships America. The series began in 2001 and has involved dozens of North American cities over the years, with millions of spectators.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Tall Ships Pensacola festival 2023: Tickets, tours and entertainment
