2015 Working Waterfront Festival Nautical Tattoo Contest

2015 Working Waterfront Festival
September 26-27, 2015
Hours: Saturday 11-6, Sunday 11-5
New Bedford Waterfront (Pier 3, State Pier, Steamship Pier)
New Bedford , MA

The 2015 Working Waterfront Festival, an annual celebration of commercial fishing culture, will debut a nautical tattoo contest.  The contest will take place on the Festival’s Contest Stage, Sunday, September 27th at 1:30PM.

"For sailors, tattoos are more than skin-deep; they penetrate their bones and anchor their souls. Belief in the power of tattoos has fortified them against dangers at sea for centuries. Tattoos remind them of the fraternity of seafarers and their connection to both land and water." (Excerpt from the exhibition catalog, Skin & Bones – Tattoos in the Life of the American Sailor, 2009, Independence Seaport Museum).

Contestants will be judged on the artistry of their tattoo, their stage presence, and the story they tell. Pre-registration is advised.


For more information, visit www.workingwaterfrontfestival.org

National Lighthouse Day

Cape Lookout Lighthouse | credit: NPS

On August 7, 1789, Congress passed an Act for the establishment and support of lighthouses, beacons, buoys and public piers.

In honor of the 200th anniversary of the establishment of the first federal lighthouse, Congress designated August 7, 1989 as National Lighthouse Day.

This recognition has encouraged communities and citizens groups to dedicate themselves to the preservation of these historic structures.

Source: NPS

UPDATE:

Though National Lighthouse Day is celebrated annually by lighthouse organizations nationwide, Congress has yet to designate August 7 as the date the U.S. officially recognizes the nation's lighthouse heritage.

For more information, visit lighthousefoundation.org.

USA Nautical Festivals

Summer is peak time for nautical festivals in the USA. Along the Atlantic, Gulf and Pacific coasts, festivals celebrate fish and seafood, recreational fishing, power boating, kayaking, sailing, watersports, beaches, nautical art forms, and other interests.

In most areas, seafood festivals are lined with artist's booths, craft vendors, and other nautical art exhibits. Some artists will work in a single media or focus on a narrow niche, while others will offer a wide range of nautical gifts.

Visiting beach festivals is another excellent way to find nautical collectibles. Beach festivals usually have tents where vendors can set up booths to showcase their work.

Nautical festivals are usually tied to local traditions. In the Pacific Northwest, nautical shows might celebrate wild salmon or Dungeness crabs, while Mid Atlantic festivals often feature sailing art or boats of the Chesapeake Bay.