San Francisco welcomed hundreds of thousands of visitors, as well as its own residents, to Fleet Week 2021 for air shows, a parade of ships, ship tours and more, from Oct. 3 through Oct. 11.

With fans arriving at Oracle Park to watch the Giants play the Dodgers on one end and crowds joining the four-hour-long lines to tour the military ships at Fleet Week on the other end, Embarcadero Street was looking what one would call “lit” over the weekend.

The Patriots Jet Team flies over the USS Shoup, left, and USS John S. McCain, right, both docked at Pier 35, during the 2021 Fleet Week Air Show in San Francisco. (Photo by Harika Maddala/Bay City News)
A spectator records Blue Angels flying over San Francisco during the Fleet Week Air Show while waiting in line for a military ship tour. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News)
The USS Shoup docked at Pier 35 for tours in San Francisco during Fleet Week. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News)
People stop by and take a look at the military souvenirs on the way out following a military ship tour at Pier 35 on Saturday. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News)
Spectators capture the planes on their cell phones during the Fleet Week Air Show at Pier 39 in San Francisco on Saturday. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News)
Blue Angels fly over San Francisco’s waterfront during the Fleet Week Air Show on Saturday. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News)
Mathew Lopez cooks steak for sandwiches at the Sidney Rudy Waterfront Park in San Francisco on Saturday. Embarcadero was full of vendors selling bacon-wrapped hot dogs, sandwiches, empanadas, churros and more for visitors attending Fleet Week over the weekend. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News)
Spectators record the Blue Angels flying during the Fleet Week Air Show at Sidney Rudy Waterfront Park in San Francisco. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News)
Demetri Ware takes photos of a Patriot Jet Team plane flying over Pier 35. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News)
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Demetri Ware, a Vallejo resident, was touring the USS Shoup on Pier 35 and taking pictures of the air show on Saturday. “I wanna see the Blue Angels. I’m just excited to see them, be outside and be part of the people,” Ware said. “I feel comfortable, you know, with the coronavirus and everything going on. I feel real safe, and I appreciate that it’s an outdoors event. Everybody is out here to have a good time.”

Started in 1981 by then-San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein as a celebration of America’s military sea services, Fleet Week is the nation’s largest celebration of the United States Armed Forces, and especially the Navy. The event brings in visitors from all across the Bay Area to the city’s waterfront and particularly Pier 39 — a location that offers one of the best views of the air shows for no cost.

Rehma Shahid, an El Cerrito resident, returned to Fleet Week after four years with her family on Saturday. “I’m excited to watch the planes today, and it is mainly because of the weather,” Shahid said.

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Anyone remotely familiar with San Francisco knows that the fog is at the core of the city’s identity. There have been instances in the past where the city’s weather conditions affected Fleet Week performances. On the last day of Fleet Week 2019, the Blue Angels had to wait for almost 25 minutes before the fog cleared up. “It’s a clear sky, and you can really see the planes going by,” Shadid said on Saturday. “I’m having a great time.”

The other major attractions of Fleet Week are the military ship tours at Piers 30/32 and Pier 35. The U.S. Navy opened three ships for tours from Wednesday through Monday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The USS Shoup and USS John S. McCain were docked at Pier 35, and the USS Rushmore was docked at Piers 30/32. The USS Michael Monsoor was also docked at Pier 35 but was not open for touring.