The biggest annual event in San Pedro kicks off the summer on Memorial Day weekend with LA Fleet Week 2026.
Over 100,000 people visit San Pedro for LA Fleet Week, and for many, it’s for the first time. This is the event puts San Pedro on the map for most Los Angelenos.
This Memorial Day weekend, May 21–25, 2026, the Port of Los Angeles once again becomes the front porch for the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Ships dock. Sailors, Marines, and Coasties walk our streets. Families gather on the waterfront. For a few days, San Pedro isn’t just hosting an event; we’re hosting all of LA.
The Downtown San Pedro Welcome Party kicks things off on Thursday, May 21, bringing the community together along Mesa Street between 5th and 6th streets. It’s a simple yet powerful tradition: food, music, and the chance to shake hands with the men and women who serve our country.
By Friday, the energy shifts to the harbor, and the LA Fleet Week Expo, anchored at the Battleship USS Iowa Museum, becomes the hub of activity. It’s part education, part entertainment, and all community. This year marks the unveiling of a brand-new campaign, an immersive, interactive journey that gives visitors an inside look at the life of a sailor. I don’t want to spoil any surprises, but the Great Ships wall is pretty mesmerizing.
The main LA Fleet Week Expo features military equipment and vehicle displays, live entertainment, competitive dodgeball, a Military Has Talent competition, and Memorial Day services.
Active-duty ship tours will allow the public to step aboard and experience naval life firsthand. The Festival of Sail offers the chance to tour and sail aboard our favorite tall ships with the Los Angeles Maritime Institute (LAMI). I keep a schedule on hand for live aerial demonstrations overhead, including helicopters, jets, and vintage planes.
And then there’s one of the weekend’s most entertaining events. Galley Wars is a culinary showdown where military chefs compete for bragging rights. Over the years I’ve been able to participate, I’ve had Coast Guard dishes that made me want to enlist and Marine creations (not recommended for human consumption) that made me want to fight.
This year, one of the standout additions is the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce Waterfront Music Festival. This free community event is taking place on the main stage in front of the USS Iowa on Saturday, May 23, from 4 to 7 p.m. With live performances from Identity Theft and Yachty by Nature, the evening blends yacht rock vibes with waterfront energy.
LA Fleet Week has always been about more than ships and spectacles. It’s about connection. I have volunteered for years, and it has been a great way to meet other locals who love San Pedro. Visit lafleetweek.com for more details, advanced tickets, ways to participate, and information about volunteer opportunities.
Let’s not forget that Memorial Day honors the women and men who have made the ultimate sacrifice. They have died for our country, both here and abroad. With this year marking America’s 250th birthday and our military engaged in an active war, Fleet Week is an opportunity to meet and thank those who wear the uniform to keep us safe. Let us never forget the cost of our freedom and never take lightly the lives at risk when we choose to go to war. spt
Lee Williams is a local real estate expert, community advocate, and harbor commissioner at the Port of LA. He believes in smart growth and investing in community, culture, art, and history. He can be reached at lee@lamove.com.
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