Opening Day, the official opening of Seattle’s boating season sponsored by the Seattle Yacht Club, includes a celebration of many kinds of water activities. Festivities will include a morning of crew races, a sailboat race, and of course, the Grand Opening  Day Boat Parade on Saturday.

As always, the Opening Day Parade starts at noon the first Saturday in May with the blast of a cannon and the raising of the Montlake Bridge. Seattle Yacht Club’s Opening Day has become the nation’s largest regional celebration of water, spring, and the opening of boating season. Participating yachts will be decorated to illustrate the 2019 theme for Opening Day, “BOATING Through The DECADES”.

Opening Day in Seattle is a family affair; families decorate their boats for the festivities and parades; spread blankets on the shoreline and spend hours watching and picnicking. Families dream of the boats they someday will own.

Opening Day offers some outstanding photo and story opportunities. You’ll not find anything like it in the U.S. or to our knowledge, in the world. The only thing comparable is an annual parade of commercial vessels in Venice, Italy.