September 14, 2017 — It’s back, baby.
Yup, New Bedford’s famed Working Waterfront Festival, which transitioned to a biennial event following 2015, is back — and looks better than ever.
Clear your calendar for Sept. 23, and head down at the docks to watch whaleboat races and lobstering contests; to eat fresh seafood, sing, dance, climb aboard a fishing vessel and more at the Working Waterfront Festival.
Now I’m the first to admit I don’t know ship about fishing, so when I’ve gone to the Waterfront Fest in the past, I’ve felt like I’m walking into a Discovery Channel documentary.
It’s absolutely eye-opening, utterly fascinating, and a fantastic — and free! — family day trip.
New Bedford is the nation’s most valuable fishing port, and the fest—named one of the world’s “Top 20 Travel Events” by National Geographic Traveler in 2011 — draws people from around New England each year for harbor tours, cooking demonstrations, author talks, folk music and dance, fishing contests, explore vessels, and more.
This year, the fest has a new partner in the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center, and will be presented in two locations: on Steamship Pier, and at the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center. The sites will be linked by a free shuttle bus.