It's been a three year wait, and now Erie is ready again to show off its maritime prowess. "For this one weekend we are the center of tall ships and sail training in this country and we can highlight how amazing of a place Erie is," said Billy Sabatini, President and CEO of Tall Ships Erie.

Nine tall ships, schooners and square riggers are all on the way to Erie to celebrate sailing heritage and history.

The festival footprint is smaller this year -- centered on Dobbins Landing and the Bayfront Convention Center.  Volunteers are prepping the rope lines and building new picnic tables for the festival grounds.  In the water along Dobbins Landing, the crew of the Lettie G. Howard was busy putting on a fresh coat of paint.

The fresh paint is helping to get the Lettie G. ship shape to be the host vessel this year, leading the parade of sail on Thursday as all nine tall ships come into Presque Isle Bay in full sail, and parade around the bay. Griffin Hayes Captain of the Lettie G. Howard is excited.  "To be able to be the leader and represent our hometown -- and show it off not only to the city but all these other ships from all around the country and sometimes even Canada it's just amazing," he said.

General admission to the festival grounds is $12, if you want to add on deck tours of all five ships available to visit add $6 more for a total of $18.  It costs more to take a 90 minute day sail, but there will be more opportunity for that this year -- with 4 ships offering sails instead of just 2.  To learn more, or buy tickets click here.

As far as getting to the festival grounds, in light of the construction along the bayfront parkway, Sabatini said, think shuttles. "Look at the shuttle route, that's how you should plan getting down here...you can park in the city, you can park out by he park 'n' rides --but plan your shuttle route - that's the important part," he said.

Or think walking from downtown streets or parking ramps. "In fact VisitErie figured this out, from almost anywhere in the city that you'd normally be parking it's less than a 20-minute-walk, just walk straight down," Sabatini said.

And even if you've been to the Tall Ships Erie Festival before, there are always new vessels to see, so President Sabatini said you should come again. "This is Erie, we are a maritime city - embrace it!"

Erie News Now will begin digital coverage about the Parade of sail at 3 p.m. Thursday on social media and on ENN Plus, and will cover the parade live at 4:00 p.m. on WICU 12...uninterrupted until 5:00 p.m.