Olympia Harbor Days

JOIN US FOR OUR 50 YEAR CELEBRATION SEPTEMBER 1-3, 2023! VISIT THE WEBSITE FOR ACTUAL TIMES.

Welcome to Olympia Harbor Days! If you are a tugboat enthusiast, a history buff, an arts & crafts lover, or simply someone in search of lots of fun, mark your calendar for Labor Day Weekend!

Harbor Days is an annual festival where tugboats return to the southernmost tip of Puget Sound for three days of entertainment, food, art, history, and a last farewell to the summer. Vintage, working and retired tugboats are moored at Olympia's Percival Landing. Many of them are open for tour on Saturday of the festival. Be on hand at noon Sunday as the tugs leave shore to participate in the Annual Harbor Days Tugboat Races, out in the deep channel of the bay.



HISTORY
1974 - 2022

In 1974, the tugboats and crews of the Puget Sound returned to the beautiful waterfront of Olympia to celebrate the end of the summer season.
This gathering was the start of Olympia Harbor Days, an annual FREE family festival dedicated to the community as a celebration of maritime heritage hosted by the South Sound Maritime Heritage Association, supporting South Sound maritime history and the tugboat tradition since 1974. In 1978, Harbor Fair, an arts, crafts, food and music festival, was added.

“Olympia Harbor Days is our favorite family Festival of the Year!” 2018

Olympia Harbor Days became the third largest festival in Thurston County and home of the World’s Largest Vintage Tugboat Races, attracting over 55,000 visitors annually, featuring 300+ booths, ships, activities, music and food. Touring the tugboats and watching them race remains the highlight of the festival, something “kids” young and old never seem to grow tired of. The festival was held every Labor Day Weekend.

“It was so much fun, I went to the festival twice over the weekend!” 2019

The 2020 Olympia Harbor Days festival was cancelled due to the pandemic. The SSMHA quickly pivoted to an online presentation of Olympia Harbor Days Lite with safe at home activities and added the Maritime Heritage Self-Guided Tour along the Waterfront. 2021, due to continued pandemic restrictions, was planned as another Lite event with the addition of a one-day small presence at the Port Plaza with 4 Mini Tugboats on display, a Lego Harbor Build and some live entertainment, but no vendor booths or food booths.

SSMHA was pleased to present the full festival in 2022, which was named
Best South Puget Sound Event of 2022 by the Washington Festivals and Events Association.
Planning and preparations are now underway for the 50 Year Celebration in 2023!

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