April 14 – Maritime Voices at U.S. Navy Memorial

The Naval Heritage Center hosts its annual “Blessing of the Fleet” each spring at the beautiful and majestic Navy Memorial Plaza. Passed down through generations of sailors, fishermen, merchant mariners and navies around the world, this centuries-old ceremony is intended to safeguard Navy ships and fishing vessels and their crews from the danger of the seas through a traditional blessing given at the water’s edge. In this version of the ceremony, waters brought in from the world’s seven seas and Great Lakes are poured into and mingled with the waters of the fountains on the Plaza.

Come for the colorful ceremony with music by the U.S. Navy Band, followed by Navy Bean soup and an afternoon concert with Maritime Voices, featuring an all-new program: “A Musical Voyage Across the Seven Seas” — in which we will follow the whaling fleets across the Atlantic, the Arctic and the Pacific. The music will start on the Plaza with Maritime Voices at 12:30, followed by the main ceremony at 1:00 and Maritime Voices’ full program at 2:15.

MORE INFO: Navy Memorial event website