HARBOR SPRINGS — The Harbor Springs Area Historical Society will host its 13th annual Blessing of the Fleet celebration June 24-26, honoring the city’s maritime heritage and Anishnaabe traditions with three days of storytelling, ceremony, music and history.
The highlight of the week takes place on Thursday, June 26, with the Blessing of the Fleet boat parade beginning at 6 p.m. on Little Traverse Bay. Vessels of all kinds—paddleboards, canoes, sailboats and powerboats—are invited to join the procession past the 65-foot Harbor Princess, where Fr. Roman will offer blessings for a safe and joyful boating season.
The traditional Odawa birch bark canoe will lead the parade, which will be narrated live on Marine Channel 73 and FM 88.9 and accompanied by the Harbor Springs Community Band.
Festivities on shore will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the Harbor Springs City Pier with a Water Song Ceremony performed by the Odawa Woodland Singers.
For those seeking a close-up view of the parade, tickets are available for the Flagship Party aboard the Harbor Princess. The $150 ticket includes hors d’oeuvres, live music, and premium seating, and supports Historical Society programming.
The Marine Channel. at the Harbor Springs History Museum. Bruce Lynn, director of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society, will share the story of the recently discovered 300-foot steel steamer lost in 1892 and found near Whitefish Point. Tickets are $15.
On Wednesday, June 25, the Anchors and Echoes sunset cruise departs Bayfront Park in Petoskey at 8 p.m. Aboard the Harbor Princess, passengers will hear local maritime history narrated by Historical Society Curator Beth Wemigwase. Tickets are $75 and include one drink.
Additionally, on June 26, the public can take part in Journey on a Jiimaan, a hands-on cultural event at Josephine Ford Park from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring rides in handcrafted birch bark canoes and storytelling by Odawa elders and youth.
Attendees can support the Historical Society through the Blessing of the Fleet raffle, with prizes including a $1,500 gift certificate to Elizabeth Blair Fine Pearls, a fishing charter for six, and a nautical map of Northern Michigan. Commemorative merchandise will also be available throughout the week.
For more information on tickets, registration or merchandise, visit HarborSpringsHistory.org or call 231-526-9771.