SAIL250® Virginia Parade To Showcase 25+ Tall Ships, 300+ Total Vessels

HAMPTON ROADS, VA

On the morning of Friday, June 19, 2026, the waterways of Hampton Roads will be transformed into one of the most extraordinary maritime spectacles in a quarter century.

The Sail250® Virginia Parade of Sail will bring together 25+ international tall ships and other vessels, accompanied by an escort fleet of hundreds of recreational and military vessels, on a 26-nautical-mile route from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel through Hampton Roads and up the Elizabeth River to downtown Norfolk While most tall ships will dock in downtown Norfolk after the parade, remaining tall ships will sail on to Sail Virginia 2026 Affiliate Harbors of Chesapeake, Portsmouth, and Cape Charles

The Parade of Sail is a once-in-a-generation spectacle of immense size, diverse scope, and time-honored maritime tradition — in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. For the first and only time during Sail250® Virginia, every tall ship in the fleet will be gathered in one place at one time — at anchor in Lynnhaven Roads the day before the parade — before making their historic passage into Norfolk together.

JUNE 16–19: See The Entire Fleet At Anchor In Lynnhaven Roads

Beginning as early as Tuesday, June 16, tall ships will begin anchoring at Lynnhaven Roads near Virginia Beach. All vessels will be anchored by 4:00 PM on Thursday, June 18, making that afternoon — and the morning of June 19, before the parade departs — the only opportunity for the public to view the entire assembled fleet of tall ships in a single location. This is a unique, unrepeatable moment.

Departure & Order of March

At 7:00 a.m., June 19, every ship in the fleet will simultaneously hoist its national colors, signaling the start of the Parade of Sail. The USCG Barque Eagle will be the first tall ship to get underway, departing the Lynnhaven Roads anchorage at 7:35 a.m.. The remaining tall ships will follow in succession.

Captains will hoist as much sail as safely possible given weather conditions, and dress ship with signal flags and by manning the rails and/or yards as appropriate — turning the fleet into a stunning visual display for the thousands of spectators expected along the shoreline.

Official Reviewing Location

The official reviewing location for the Sail250® Virginia Parade of Sail will be in Norfolk at the Front Street docking location on the port (left) side of the tall ships along the Elizabeth River. As each vessel passes the reviewing stand, ships are asked to render honors by manning the yards, dipping their ensigns, or by another appropriate maritime custom. national commemoration,” said Frank Rabena, Vice President and COO, VPA.