Inaugural Port Orchard Mosquito Fleet Fest adds a May event on Bay Street

The first annual Mosquito Fleet Fest in Port Orchard is coming Saturday, May 25, bringing two vessels that were part of the historic ferry system to the Port Orchard waterfront: Carlisle II and Virginia V.

Organized by the Port Orchard Bay Street Association, a variety of events scheduled as well so festival-goers may enjoy the town all day, according to the association.

Visitors with tickets can enjoy free 90-minute story sailings at 11 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. with former Kitsap Sun reporter Josh Farley narrating the history of the Mosquito fleet. Those signed up for Virginia V will sail aboard for an hour on Sinclair Inlet at 1 p.m. or 4 p.m. An additional sail with Virginia V is offered on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., according to the association.

"This is a brand new event for us, and we intend to expand it in the future but we decided just to start simple and with one day," said Coreen Haydock of the Port Orchard Bay Street Association.

The Mosquito Fleet refers to steamships that shuttled people and goods between Puget Sound towns before roads and cars were prevalent. Now more than a century old, the Carlisle II and Virginia V are two remaining Mosquito Fleet vessels that can still demonstrate the unique marine history to the public.

Built in 1917, Carlisle II is the oldest ferry still operating in Puget Sound. Now sailing as the foot ferry between Bremerton and Port Orchard, the boat is named after a Bellingham-based salmon cannery, the Carlisle Packing Company, which operated in the early 20th century. The steamship recently went through a $1.5 million renovation that added a new engine, generator, propeller, navigation system, planking and windows to the ferry, according to Kitsap Transit.

Virginia V was launched in 1922 and its first voyage was from Elliott Bay in Seattle to Tacoma. The steamship now requires regular maintenance that costs up to $250,000 every two years for maintenance, periodic upgrades, and painting for the ship. Virginia V docks at South Lake Union behind the Museum of History and Industry and the Center for Wooden Boats, according to the Virginia V Foundation.

Other activities during the Mosquito Fleet Fest are a Port Orchard favorite, a seagull calling contest on the beach downtown, at 1:30 p.m., a maritime-themed vendor market, a scavenger hunt and an artisan alley.

Sponsored by the South Kitsap Chamber of Commerce, the seagull calling contest is a long-time tradition in Port Orchard where people tried to call in seagulls. The popular event dates back more than 30 years but was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the chamber is bringing the event back, Haydock said.

Banners with historical information regarding the history of Port Orchard and the Mosquito Fleet will be placed on Bay Street, Haydock said.

Visitors can also go to the Port Orchard Farmers Market from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The farmers market runs every Saturday until October 19 in the parking lot at Bay Street and Harrison Avenue, near the Port Orchard Waterfront Park.

More: Poulsbo kicks off Kitsap's farmers market season, beginning Saturday

"The boat tours and the vendors and the artists and the historical information is primarily what we've got going on and that's all 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. around town," Haydock said.

With events lined up and tied to the history of Port Orchard, the association hopes to attract people to visit the town, Haydock said.

"Our primary mission as a merchants association is to bring people to downtown, so you know, customers, shoppers, diners, but also tourists," Haydock said. "We are trying to focus more on our nautical maritime heritage."

More information regarding the fest can be found at https://www.pobsa.com/mosquito-fleet-fest.

This article originally appeared on Kitsap Sun: Inaugural Port Orchard Mosquito Fleet Fest planned for May 25