Thousands of sailors have descended on New York City for Fleet Week 2024, bringing multiple ships and dozens of activities for citizens to participate in. Running from May 22-28, Fleet Week brought 11 Navy vessels and nearly 2,300 service members to the Big Apple for the annual tradition. New Yorkers can tour the ships of the Fleet Week Flotilla on the West side of Manhattan between 45th and 49th Streets, and at the Homeport Pier on Staten Island. The annual tradition is an opportunity for civilians to learn more about the military, and for sailors from across the country to experience the city. The annual Parade of Ships kicked off the celebrations on Wednesday when the fleet, including the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan and the Bay-class cutter USCGC Sturgeon Bay, steamed into New York Harbor. A total of 2 U.S. Navy ships, 3 U.S. Coast Guard vessels, 4 U.S. Naval Academy Yard Patrol boats, and ships from Germany are now docked in Manhattan. Now in its 36th year, the annual event has been held in New York City since 1984, with the exception of 2020 and 2021 when the in-person event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and held virtually on social media.
