Two of the tall ships are expected to stay in Erie after the festival is over, including the popular Spanish ship Santa Maria.
The colorful display lit up the night sky as part of Tall Ships Erie.
The wind added some problems to the inflation effort Friday morning, but she was fully inflated by afternoon.
All 12 Captains from each ship attended a celebratory Captains Dinner Thursday night.
Residents and visitors came to the South Pier to kick off the first day of Tall Ships.
In fact, Captain Tiffany Krihwan got her start in sailing right on the waters of Lake Erie.
Advice for Tall Ships Parking
Sail boating can be a fun summer activity especially if you live next to one of the great lakes. As tall ship weekend approaches residents and sailors should still keep safety a main priority while participating in this year's festivities.
The Santa Maria arrives a day early and thrills a crowd of people who were fortunate to see the ship come into view.
Tall ships Erie begins on Thursday afternoon as a record number of the tall-masted vessels line up for the Parade of Sail led by the Brig Niagara. There will be twelve ships in port, moored from Holland to Sassafras Streets and three of the visitors Picto
It marks the end of a series of naming contests held by the credit union.
Tall Ships Security
Tall Ships Erie 2019 runs Thursday, Aug. 22 through Sunday, Aug. 25.
The Flagship Niagara League's putting it all together. They say they need 300 more volunteers for the festival, which is set for August 22-25.
Erie Tall Ship Festival will begin on August 22. Erie News Now got a preview of the excitement at Buffalo's Tall Ship Festival this holiday weekend.
The PICTON CASTLE survived a mine explosion underneath it that lifted the 300-ton ship out of the ocean with little sustained damage.
The ship will travel from the province of Huelva of southern Spain.
The ship weights 740 tons and currently operates as a charting vessel for special events.
The Tall Ships Festival itself will feature day sails, live entertainment, a festival marketplace, food and more.
Organizers expect ticket sales for Tall Ships Erie 2019 to be brisk.
The festival starts with the Parade of Sail on Aug. 22 and runs from Aug. 23-25, 2019.
The Flagship Niagara League today announced the dates for Erie's next tall ships festival. It will be held August 22-25, 2019.
