Annual Newport Beach Wooden Boat Festival Returns to Balboa Yacht Club June 7-8
By Newport Indy Staff – March 14, 2024
Source: Newport Beach Independent https://www.newportbeachindy.com/annual-newport-beach-wooden-boat-festival-returns-to-balboa-yacht-club-june-7-8/
The 8th Annual Newport Beach Wooden Boat Festival will return to the Balboa Yacht Club, June 7 – 8, 2024 with more than 40 wooden vessels of all sizes on display, and a collection of master artisans and craftsmen at work.
This year’s festival theme is “The Art & Craft of the Wooden Boat” in celebration of the creative artistry, intricate craftsmanship, and timeless beauty of wooden boats.
“Event guests will be able to immerse themselves in the centuries-old artform of wooden boat building, and the fine woodworking and artistic details that adorn the boats,” said event chair Stephen Paljieg. “This year’s event will be bigger and better than ever. Its theme captures the essence of the passion and artistry behind these magnificent, one-of-a-kind watercrafts and the inclusion of the master craftsmen who build and keep them in ‘Bristol condition’ takes it to a whole new level of experience.”
In 2017, the event was officially recognized by the Orange County Board of Supervisors, who proclaimed the second weekend in June the “Newport Beach Wooden Boat Festival Weekend.”
Event guests will be able to stroll the Balboa Yacht Club docks, board the wooden boats that have come for the festival and talk to owners about what makes their wooden vessel special.
There’s also an opportunity to step back in time to cruise aboard the America – a replica of the 139-foot wooden sailing yacht that won the historic Royal Yacht Squadron’s 100 Guinea Cup race in 1851.
There will be plenty to do on land where maritime craftsman will be at work, guest speakers will be telling tales of experiences with wooden boats, and plein air artists will be capturing the beauty of the boats in Newport Harbor. Add live music, activities for kids, specialty craft cocktails with artisan foods and you’ve got something for everyone on Saturday, June 8.
Astor won the People’s Choice Award at the 2023 Wooden Boat Festival | Photo by Jim Collins
A first this year: an expansion of the weekend’s festivities to an Inaugural Opening Night on Friday, June 7. The evening will include cocktails and appetizers aboard the America, early access to tour some of the amazing boats and craftsmen exhibits. Dinner, music and a live auction under the stars will follow.
The 2024 Newport Beach Wooden Festival is hosted by Balboa Yacht Club in collaboration with the City of Newport Beach, the County of Orange, and Visit Newport/Newport Beach & Co.
The Balboa Yacht Club is at 1801 Bayside Drive in Corona del Mar.
Festival tickets are $15, Cruises on the America are $75, Inaugural Opening Night tickets are $175. Children under 12 are free. All tickets can be purchased in advance online. Saturday Festival Tickets can also be purchased at the gate on the day of the event (June 8).
Visit https://www.newportbeachwoodenboatfestival.com for tickets and more information.
By Newport Indy Staff – March 14, 2024
Source: Newport Beach Independent https://www.newportbeachindy.com/annual-newport-beach-wooden-boat-festival-returns-to-balboa-yacht-club-june-7-8/
Newport Beach has a handful of iconic attractions that have stood the test of time: The Newport Pier, which replaced the original McFadden Wharf (1888-1939) and is registered as a California Historical Landmark; the Balboa Pavilion, which opened on July 1, 1906 and is the city’s oldest standing building; and the Balboa Island Ferry, which went into service in 1919 to bring cars and passengers across 900 feet of water between Balboa Island and the Balboa Fun Zone.
All permits are in place for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to dredge channels in Lower Newport Bay and bury any contaminated sediment in a massive underwater pit at the heart of Newport Harbor.
But the project is now facing multiple legal challenges that could slow it down or thwart it entirely, as resident and environmental groups that tried to block those permits cite ongoing concerns over risks to marine life and bay contamination.
The Balboa Island Ferry, one of our most iconic Newport Beach tourism experiences, could be no more.
If that sounds dramatic, it is. I can’t imagine our city without the ferry, but unless something is done, this treasured piece of our city could be gone in less than two years.
Thousands of locals and visitors use the ferry every year and it’s a vital part of our culture and history. It is part of what makes us Newport Beach, and in my mind, it is as important as our beaches. But all of that is now threatened and could be lost.
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