PR: WDI Announces Tall Ship Visit to Wilmington for Memorial Day Weekend

Release Date: Thursday, May 7th 2009

WILMINGTON, NC – Wilmington Downtown, Inc. announces the Wilmington Downtown Nautical Celebration!  Join us as we welcome the Pride of Baltimore II, a tall ship, to Wilmington, NC.  The cannons will roar when The Pride II calls on downtown Wilmington in time to kick-off the summer of 2009.  

The ship will arrive via the Cape Fear River with cannons blazing Friday afternoon before the start of the Downtown Sundown Concert Series.  Friday night's concert will go on as scheduled with the Breakfast Club playing classic 80's hits. The ship will be open for tours Friday night during the concert.

Saturday morning, the ship will be open for tours during the Farmer’s Market. After the market closes at 1:00pm, a performance by Soko African Dance Ensemble will take place from 3:00-4:30pm, followed by the Bluegrass band, the Barn Raisers, playing from 4:30pm-6:00pm. Chris Bellamy, a local Jimmy Buffet-style performer, will then take the stage from 6:00pm-8:00pm.  The main act of the evening will be a regional reggae band, Steve Martinez and the Give Thanks Band playing from 8:00pm-10:00pm. Admission is free, and beer and wine will be available.  Outside coolers and pets are not allowed in the event area please.

The Pride II will be open for tours Sunday morning. At 1:00pm, when the downtown churches dismiss, the congregations will meet at Riverfront Park for a special "Shall We Gather at the River” service, which will be the singing of spiritual songs to celebrate the river. The ship is expected to leave downtown at 3:00pm on Sunday with a large Parade of Sail as the ship heads down the river.

Wilmington Downtown, Inc. is working in conjunction with area sponsors, R.A. Jeffreys, Wilmington Harbor Enhancement Trust (WHET), Papa John’s, and the City of Wilmington (for support services).

John Hinnant, Executive Director for Wilmington Downtown, Inc. said of the event, “Wilmington Downtown is proud to celebrate Wilmington nautical history with the Wilmington Downtown Nautical Celebration on Memorial Day weekend.  Tall Ships are always a favorite among Wilmington residents and tourists.  The ship will be open for free tours throughout its visit, and families are encouraged to make a day of the ship’s presence here in town.  The live music, the cannon fire and a beautiful tall ship will certainly help the Greater Wilmington region kick-off summer with a bang.”

This event highlights Wilmington’s nautical history and serves to kick off the summer season in our region.  All proceeds will benefit Wilmington Downtown, Inc. to aid in the continuation of achieving the goals outlined in our mission statement, as well as working towards the initiatives of the Vision 2020 plan.  Wilmington Downtown, Inc. is a nonprofit organization advocating planned economic growth and development in the downtown Wilmington area. Since 1977, it has served as a vehicle for community improvement and a voice for downtown businesses, residents and tourists.