Seafair returns with Fleet Week

SEATTLE — Monday marked the start of Fleet Week in Seattle.

Chopper 7 flew above the Navy ships that rolled into Elliott Bay, bringing the summer tradition back after a COVID-19 pandemic hiatus.

As the USS Lake Champlain and the USS John Paul Jones headlined the Seafair parade of ships — Navy Band Northwest welcomed them to Seattle.

Fleet Week is always a big draw and it means Seafair is in full swing.

Charles Key said two summers without the signature festival have been “Boring! I’ve missed it, I’m glad it’s back.”

Thousands of people showed up Saturday night or watched KIRO 7 for the Torchlight Parade through downtown Seattle, and next weekend, people will be out on Lake Washington for the Hydroplane Races and the Boeing Air Show with the Blue Angels.

“It is so exciting to be back in person. We had to sit on the bench for two years,” one person told KIRO 7.

The Blues will fly at 3 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

For years, traffic has always stopped on the Interstate 90 Bridge as the Blues roared over.

But in 2019, what the Navy calls the “Safety Flight Box” shifted south, allowing traffic to keep moving.

This year, bridge traffic will not stop during the air show.

On Monday as well, the Coast Guard staged a dramatic demonstration with a rescue swimmer who dropped out of a helicopter to bring a manikin to safety.

The demonstration was a thrill for a Coast Guard family whom KIRO 7 talked with.

“The Coast Guard is kind of one those not acknowledged as much as the DOD branches, but we do a lot of stuff, you know search and rescue, law enforcement,” said Kain Mitchell, who is stationed in Seattle with the Coast Guard.

This week, people will be able to tour the Navy ships as they soak up Seafair’s return.

Seafair leaders said summer festivals around the country have been drawing big crowds this year, and they expect the same in Seattle as people enjoy the celebration for the first time since 2019.

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