The Port of Tacoma will host its 25th Annual Free Boat Tours and Open House event on Sunday, September 18th.

Held on a September Sunday each year since 1980, this free event features entertainment, a variety of family-oriented activities and four scheduled boat tours. Port officials expect 1,500 to 2,000 people to attend this year’s event.

With major construction activity underway and two major container terminals recently completed, the Port of Tacoma is one of the fastest-growing ports in North America.

From the decks of the Argosy Goodtime II, guests will see huge container ships up close, cruise under the world’s largest container cranes and see Port-constructed wildlife habitat and environmental areas. They will also gain an understanding of how international trade fuels the region’s economy and how Port of Tacoma activity is creating thousands of local, family-wage jobs.

The Port’s Annual Free Boat Tours and Open House kicks off at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, September 18. Boat tours are scheduled at 10 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tours are offered on a first-come, first-serve basis, so it is suggested that guests arrive a half hour before scheduled departures.

Between tours, an Open House in the Port of Tacoma Administration Building offers numerous family-oriented activities. From 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., guests can learn to tie maritime knots, send messages with signal flags, play trivia games and outside, see up-close cargo handling equipment. There will also be food, entertainment and face painting.

Boat tours depart from the Port of Tacoma Administration Building, located off East 11th Street – about five minutes from downtown Tacoma. For more information, visit the Port of Tacoma website at http://www.portoftacoma.com, or call the Port’s Activity Line at (253) 597-7564.

The Port’s Annual Free Boat Tours and Open House is held in conjunction with Tacoma’s Commencement Bay Maritime Fest (Sept. 17-18).
For more information, visit http://www.maritimefest.org.