The first annual Mosquito Fleet Fest in Port Orchard takes place on Saturday, May 25 and brings two ships that were part of the historic ferry system to the Port Orchard waterfront: Carlisle II and Virginia V.
Organized by the Port Orchard Bay Street Association, several events are also scheduled so festival-goers can enjoy the city all day, the association said.
Visitors with tickets can enjoy free 90-minute story sailings at 11 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. with former Kitsap Sun reporter Josh Farley sharing the history of the Mosquito fleet. Those signed up for Virginia V will sail for an hour at Sinclair Inlet at 1 or 4 p.m. According to the association, an additional trip with Virginia V is offered on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“This is a brand new event for us and we plan to expand it in the future, but we decided to start simple and on one day,” said Coreen Haydock of the Port Orchard Bay Street Association.
The Mosquito Fleet refers to steamships that transported people and goods between Puget Sound towns before roads and automobiles prevailed. Now over a century old, the Carlisle II and Virginia V are two surviving Mosquito Fleet ships that can still demonstrate their unique maritime history to the public.
Built in 1917, Carlisle II is the oldest ferry still operating in Puget Sound. The boat now operates as a pedestrian ferry between Bremerton and Port Orchard and is named after a Bellingham salmon cannery, the Carlisle Packing Company, that operated in the early 20th century. According to Kitsap Transit, the steamship recently underwent a $1.5 million renovation that added a new engine, generator, propeller, navigation system, planks and windows to the ferry.
Virginia V was launched in 1922 and the maiden voyage was from Seattle’s Elliott Bay to Tacoma. The steamship now requires regular maintenance that costs up to $250,000 every two years for upkeep, periodic upgrades and painting for the ship. According to the Virginia V Foundation, Virginia V docks at South Lake Union, behind the Museum of History and Industry and the Center for Wooden Boats.
Other activities during the Mosquito Fleet Fest include a Port Orchard favorite, a seagull calling contest on the downtown beach at 1:30 p.m., a maritime-themed market, a scavenger hunt and a craft alley.
The seagull calling contest, sponsored by the South Kitsap Chamber of Commerce, is a long-standing tradition in Port Orchard where people tried to summon seagulls. The popular event dates back more than three decades but was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the chamber is bringing the event back, Haydock said.
Banners with historical information about the history of Port Orchard and the Mosquito Fleet will be placed on Bay Street, Haydock said.
Visitors can also head to the Port Orchard Farmers Market from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The farmers market takes place every Saturday through October 19 in the parking lot at Bay Street and Harrison Avenue, near Port Orchard Waterfront Park.
More: Poulsbo kicks off Kitsap’s farmers market season on Saturday
“The boat rides and the vendors and the artists and the historical information is primarily what we have to offer and that’s all in town from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” Haydock said.
With events lined up related to Port Orchard’s history, the association hopes to attract people to visit the city, Haydock said.
“Our main mission as a merchant association is to bring people downtown, meaning customers, shoppers, diners, as well as tourists,” Haydock said. “We are trying to focus more on our nautical maritime heritage.”
More information about the fest can be found at https://www.pobsa.com/mosquito-fleet-fest.
This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Inaugural Port Orchard Mosquito Fleet Fest set for May 25
