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2025 Maritime Gig Festival: Here’s what you need to know

Gig Harbor’s biggest party is back this weekend.

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The Maritime Gig Festival is Saturday and Sunday, June 7 and 8, along the downtown waterfront. The Grande Parade is from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday.

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 Maritime Gig Festival:

Weather 

We’ve had three straight years of good weather for the Maritime Gig Grande Parade ever since its 2022 return following a two-year COVID-19 absence. As of June 2, the forecast calls for a fourth. 

The National Weather Service forecast for June 7 couldn’t be more parade-friendly: “Mostly sunny, with a high near 78.” 

Parade

The Maritime Gig Grande Parade starts at 10 a.m. Saturday and typically continues until about noon. The full complement of 100 entries will participate. This year’s theme is Treasures of the Tide.

It runs along Harborview Drive, from North Harborview Drive to Soundview Drive. The judges’ stand is near the corner of Harborview and Pioneer Way. 

Any spot along Harborview Drive is a good one to view the parade. Many people arrive early in the morning to reserve their spot. If you’re one of them, you can always reserve your spot and then walk down to Skansie Brothers Park, where the Kiwanis Club hosts a pancake breakfast. 

Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce CEO Miriam Battson said marshals will be walking the parade route, making sure the crowd doesn’t encroach upon the roadway. Spectators need to be behind the fog line at all times.

For the first time, Gig Harbor Now will be in the parade. A group of our journalists, volunteers and board members will be walking with cameras, taking photos of people in the crowd. Make sure to strike a pose when you see us pointing our cameras.

Road closures 

The entire parade route — Harborview Drive between Burnham Drive and Soundview, along with Judson Street and a few blocks of North Harborview Drive — will close between about 8:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday.

A smaller portion of Harborview and lower Pioneer Way will close between 5 a.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday. 

Parking and shuttles 

Pierce Transit will once again operate free shuttles between the Kimball Street Park and Ride and Judson Street. The shuttles will run from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. both days. During periods of lower demand, shuttles will run every 15 minutes; during peak times, they will run even more frequently.

All Black Limo LLC will operate a shuttle between Chapel Hill Church parking lot (7700 Skansie Ave.) and the festival on Saturday. The shuttle will run between the church and the Gig Harbor Yacht Club from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; and between the church and the corner of Rosedale and Harborview from 12:30 to 8 p.m.

United Methodist Church (7400 Pioneer Way) and St. Nicholas Catholic Church (3510 Rosedale Street) will offer paid parking. At St. Nicholas, please enter via Edwards Drive.

What’s new

The fun run that typically precedes the Grand Parade on Saturday is off this year. The Gig Harbor Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the festival, instead staged a Fools Run in April.  The Local Makers Market, a mainstay of the past few Maritime Gigs, is also off this year. 

New this year is a Seahawks Fan Zone at the corner of Harborview and Pioneer. Jim Zorn, the team’s first quarterback, will be in the fan zone from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

Sunday 

Highlights on Sunday include the Wheels on the Water car show, the Blessing of the Fleet and line dancing.

The Blessing of the Fleet begins at 1 p.m. A procession from St. Nicholas Catholic Church walks down Rosedale Street to Skansie Brothers Park, where the parish priest boards a boat and blesses the local commercial fishing fleet, at anchor in the harbor. 

Wheels on the Water runs from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Harborview Drive. Award winners are announced at 3 p.m. 

Categories include favorite Ford, GM, Mopar, truck, paint job, stock, modified, import, modern performance, and favorite vehicle from the 1940s, ‘50s and ‘60s. 

The festivities wrap up with a performance by country artist Nick Cain, with a line dancing instructor on hand to help get the crowd involved.

“It should be a fun way to close the event on Sunday,” Battson said. 

Schedule 

Saturday, June 7 

8 a.m.: Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast, at Skansie Brothers Park 

10 a.m.: Maritime Gig Grande Parade 

Noon: Entertainment and vendor fair begins; Harbor History Museum and Harbor WildWatch both open 

2:15 p.m.: Parade awards 

Entertainment schedule 

11:45 a.m.: The Shy Boys 

1 p.m.: Champagne Sunday 

2:30 p.m.: Ian Ayers and Soul Purpose 

3:30 p.m.: Kim Archer Band 

5 p.m.: Led Zeppman 

6:30 p.m.: Kalimba 

Sunday, June 8 

10 a.m.: Entertainment begins, Harbor WildWatch opens 

11 a.m.: Wheels on the Water car show begins 

1 p.m.: Blessing of the Fleet 

3 p.m.: Car show awards 

Entertainment schedule 

10:30 a.m.: Brian James Was Here 

Noon: The Jewel Tones 

2 p.m.: Lovely Colours 

3:30 p.m.: Nick Cain/Line dancing