This weekend, the best of the city's fishing heritage and culture will be on display as the eighth annual Working Waterfront Festival gets under way down at the docks. The timing couldn't be better, since the port has just been given 306 million new reasons to celebrate. That is the dollar amount that earned New Bedford the No. 1 ranking nationwide for seafood landings in 2010.
This year's festival has adopted "Then & Now: Tradition and Innovation in New England's Working Ports" as its theme. Its aim is to highlight the cultural traditions in fishing communities, recognize industry innovators and consider how the industry has changed over time, organizers say. "We have some performers that play on those themes, like the Northern Neck Chantey Singers, retired African-American menhaden fishermen from Virginia," festival director Laura Orleans said.
The two-day event is totally free and offers the public a close-up look inside the colorful world of commercial fishing, a world that is still largely unknown to most outsiders. A packed schedule offers activities for the whole family. Boat tours, boat building, music, food, documentary films and demonstrations of industry skills such as net making, fish cutting and scallop shucking are just a few of the attractions on offer. There are a tugboat muster and survival suit races. The Coast Guard will be sending a cutter, working boats will be open to the public, and the traditional Blessing of the Fleet takes place at 1 p.m. Sunday. A full program of music, poetry, author readings and panel discussions is also planned.
The festival has become a feature of the local calendar, but its reputation has spread beyond the region. The September issue of National Geographic Traveler magazine recommended the New Bedford event as a top destination. As usual, Fisherman's Wharf will be lined with tents featuring exhibits, products and services associated with commercial fishing and its service industries.
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