Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti joined elected officials and leaders from the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard to celebrate the start of Los Angeles Fleet Week 2022, at Cabrillo Boat Ramp in San Pedro on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
A military landing craft heads towards Cabrillo Beach during a training exercise on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, as the USS Portland sits along the San Pedro waterfront for LA Fleet Week this holiday weekend. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Erik Raven, Under Secretary of the Navy, was present to celebrate the start of Los Angeles Fleet Week 2022, at Cabrillo Boat Ramp in San Pedro on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Gene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles joined elected officials and leaders from the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard to celebrate the start of Los Angeles Fleet Week 2022, at Cabrillo Boat Ramp in San Pedro on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti joined elected officials and leaders from the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard to celebrate the start of Los Angeles Fleet Week 2022, at Cabrillo Boat Ramp in San Pedro on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino joined elected officials and leaders from the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard to celebrate the start of Los Angeles Fleet Week 2022, at Cabrillo Boat Ramp in San Pedro on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
The USS Essex was a perfect backdrop for the press conference held by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, elected officials and leaders from the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard to celebrate the start of Los Angeles Fleet Week 2022, at Cabrillo Boat Ramp in San Pedro on Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (Photo by Brittany Murray, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Paddleboarders head towards Cabrillo Beach on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 as the USS Portland sits along the San Pedro waterfront ahead of LA Fleet Week this holiday weekend. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Beachgoers at Cabrillo Beach have a clear view of the USS Portland docked along the San Pedro waterfront on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, ahead of LA Fleet Week Memorial Day weekend. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
The USS Portland, an amphibious transport dock ship, sits along the San Pedro waterfront on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, ahead of LA Fleet Week Memorial Day weekend. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
The USS Essex is visible from Cabrillo Beach after its arrival in San Pedro on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in preparation for LA Fleet Week May 27-30. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Helicopter carrier the USS Essex towers over the Cabrillo Marina after its arrival in San Pedro on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in preparation for LA Fleet Week May 27-30. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Sailors man the rails as the USS Essex arrives in San Pedro on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, for LA Fleet Week May 27-30. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Sailors man the rails as the USS Essex arrives in San Pedro on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, for LA Fleet Week May 27-30. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Sailors man the rails as the USS Essex arrives in San Pedro on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, for LA Fleet Week May 27-30. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Sailors man the rails as the USS Essex arrives in San Pedro on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, for LA Fleet Week May 27-30. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Sailors man the rails as the USS Essex arrives in San Pedro on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, for LA Fleet Week May 27-30. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Sailors man the rails as the USS Essex arrives in San Pedro on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, for LA Fleet Week May 27-30. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Helicopter carrier the USS Essex arrives in San Pedro on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in preparation for LA Fleet Week May 27-30. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Helicopter carrier the USS Essex arrives in San Pedro on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in preparation for LA Fleet Week May 27-30. (Photo by Howard Freshman, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles city and military dignitaries joined forces on the sands of Cabrillo Beach, in San Pedro, on Tuesday, May 24, to officially welcome the return of LA Fleet Week.
Shuttered for 32 months because of the pandemic, the fast-growing regional event returns this weekend — Friday to Monday, May 27-30 — with tours of active-study U.S. Navy ships, aerial demonstrations and ongoing live entertainment taking place on San Pedro’s working waterfront.
The more than 2-year break had a silver lining for Fleet Week, as it made for a smoother transition from the event’s traditional Labor Day weekend schedule to a Memorial Day weekend event. Organizers plan on hosting Fleet Week on Memorial Day weekend moving forward.
One reason for the change was apparent on Tuesday, as the crowd gathered on a cool, windy beach — weather that’s much more conducive to an outdoor festival than the often-sweltering temperatures of Labor Day.
“We are back and we’re back with a roar,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who announced in November 2015 that the city would launch an annual Fleet Week celebration, which began the next year.
“Fleet Week is already underway,” Garcetti said Tuesday, referring to the weeklong build-up of advanced activities. Among them were a Sea-to-Surface logistics demonstration drill that brought together the American Red Cross, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy, among several others, for an afternoon in internal disaster preparedness drills at Cabrillo Beach.
The two visiting Navy ships, meanwhile, sat offshore behind the staged news conference, their crews preparing for public tours that will be offered throughout the weekend.
Those ships are the USS Essex, a multipurpose amphibious assault ship capable of carrying a full range of U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps helicopters; and the USS Portland, an amphibious transport dock ship.
The ships arrived in port early this week.
Garcetti, himself a Navy veteran, said the vessels protect the nation’s shores and serve to guarantee the free trade that has made the Port of Los Angeles the busiest in the nation.
“You’ve really got two opportunities this weekend,” Garcetti said. “You can either try to get tickets to ‘Top Gun,’ but they’re all sold out, or you can see the real deal here.”
A full lineup of events for LA Fleet Week can be found at lafleetweek.com.
Admission is free and the main expo will be near the USS Iowa, at First Street and Harbor Boulevard. Shuttles will take visitors to the two ship in the Outer Harbor for tours.
Among the aims of Fleet Week are to introduce the public to those who serve in the nation’s military.
“I hope if you see someone in uniform,” Garcetti said, “you’ll welcome them and you’ll ask them to tell you their story.”
Sign up for The Localist, our daily email newsletter with handpicked stories relevant to where you live. Subscribe here.
