The Blog

Governor Chris Gregoire

07/03/08

Independence Day brings celebrations across Washington. For the second year, the holiday means the arrival of dozens of tall ships to Tacoma’s Thea Foss Waterway. To help commemorate the event, I’ve declared July 3 “Tall Ships Tacoma Day.” More than 700,000 visitors are expected to tour the 32 ships lining the Port of Tacoma during their four day docking.

Ships on display include the Eagle, the only masted ship in the Coast Guard fleet, as well as Washington’s official ship, the Lady Washington. You can also view a few celebrity ships such as the HMS Bounty, featured in the movie “Mutiny on the Bounty,” and the Nina, featured in the movie “1492.”

Elsewhere across the state, the “River of Fire” festival in Columbia Park in Kennewick will again be the largest Independence Day celebration in Eastern Washington. And Kingston will maintain its tradition of holding the longest-running Fourth of July parade on the peninsula.

Please enjoy the magnificent festivities while remaining mindful of your safety and the safety of those around you.

For information on traveling around Washington, visit the Department of Transportation link: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Congestion/IndependenceDay.

For information on our state’s vast tourism treasures, visit http://www.experiencewa.com/v5/home/default.aspx.