YORKTOWN — Tall ships will return to the York River next month as York County prepares to host the Sail Yorktown Festival, a three-day maritime celebration expected to draw visitors to the Historic Yorktown waterfront June 12–14.
Part of SailVirginia 2026, the festival begins with a Parade of Sail beginning at 9 a.m., followed by an opening ceremony at 11 a.m.
Organizers say the event will blend maritime history, entertainment and Revolutionary War-era demonstrations along the waterfront, with programming that includes free ship deck tours, artillery demonstrations, living history encampments, children’s activities and musical performances over the course of the weekend.
Among the featured vessels is the Godspeed, Jamestown Settlement’s re-creation of the square-rigged merchant ship that carried English colonists to Virginia in 1607. Other ships scheduled to appear include Luna, an 18th-century colonial sloop operated by the Colonial Seaport Foundation; Alliance II, Historic Yorktown’s schooner; and Serenity, a two-masted schooner docked at Riverwalk Landing.
The festival’s entertainment lineup includes performances by The Tiki Bar Band on Friday evening and country artist Karissa Ella on Saturday night at Riverwalk Landing. Broadway performer Lexi Lawson is scheduled to perform Saturday evening at the Yorktown Victory Monument, followed by the Williamsburg Symphony Orchestra performing composer Peter Boyer’s “American Mosaic.” The weekend will conclude Sunday with a performance by the Williamsburg Classic Swing Orchestra.
Additional events planned throughout the weekend include “Revolution on Main,” a Maritime Throwdown and open houses at several historic homes.
