Ships, schooners, Viking longboats and many more vessels are lining up along Navy Pier for the Pepsi Tall Ships Chicago Festival. From July 27 to 31, guests will be able to buy tickets to visit the dock, tour boats and sail around Lake Michigan during the day and at night for fireworks. On Wednesday at the Parade of Sail, guests will be able see the entire fleet of 14 international, historical ships. If you’d rather not be land-locked during the parade, guests who've purchased tickets can hop onboard.
Ships have traveled all the way from Spain, Norway and across the nation to get to Chicago for this festival. The Viking longboat, Draken Harald Hårfagre, sailed the farthest—nearly 3,500 nautical miles. And it's a good thing it made the trip, because it’s a boat you won’t really get to see anywhere else. The Vikings left no record of how they built ships, but a band of veteran boat craftspeople and artists decided to figure out how on a small island off the coast of Norway. The result is one of the largest, most authentic Viking warships, which you can see at the festival.
Many of the vessels have never been to Chicago before, including the schooner named When and If. Her name comes from General George Patton, who commissioned the boat in 1939 and declared, “When the war is over, and if I live through it, my wife and I are going to sail her around the world.” Now that the boat is restored, the captain and crew intend to fulfill his dream.
Don't worry about having your sea legs, though—we're on Lake Michigan. Just climb aboard one of the handcrafted sailboats and prepare for a quick, leisurely trip. Check out the photos below of the actual boats you'll be able to board.
