WITH A SHUTDOWN of the federal government by the end of the day Tuesday if Congress cannot pass a budget, the two organizations that produce San Francisco Fleet Week are making contingency plans.
This year’s event, Oct. 5 to 13, will serve as the official West Coast celebration of the U.S. Navy’s 250th anniversary, commemorating a legacy of naval service in the Bay Area. The event is packed with peacetime community engagement events including tours of historic and contemporary military ships. There is a neighborhood concert program planned, with over forty performances throughout the city, and Friday and Saturday airshows featuring the Blue Angels precision demonstration squadron.
Brian O’Rourke, corps planner for the U.S. Navy, said that if the federal government shuts down, San Francisco Fleet Week is not canceled completely.
“The Navy and Marine Corps would not be able to participate, but there will still be a local community event,” he said.
David Cruise, Public Affairs Officer for the San Francisco Fleet Week organization, confirmed that if a shutdown does take effect, U.S. military participation — including ships, aircraft and sailors — would be paused but Fleet Week itself will proceed.
“Our international partners remain confirmed, with visiting ships from Canada and Colombia, and the San Francisco Fleet Week Air Show presented by United will feature the Canadian Snowbirds, returning for the first time since 2017, among many other performers,” said Cruise. “San Francisco Fleet Week is as much a civic tradition as a military one.”
O’Rourke said the Navy and Marine Corps are awaiting full direction from the Department of War and the Department of Navy regarding courses of action in the event of a shutdown. He said the Navy fleet is still in the port of San Diego and is preparing to depart for San Francisco at the end of the week.
“Our hope is for a swift decision on a funding bill,” he said. “If the government does shut down but there is a swift resolution, we will consider the circumstances and timing to determine how we might salvage military participation in San Francisco Fleet Week. San Francisco Fleet Week has earned a well-deserved reputation with sailors and Marines as a favorite port visit.”
The Navy has a long history in the San Francisco Bay Area, with historic bases in the Presidio, Alameda, Vallejo and Treasure Island.
For Fleet Week, thousands of tourists come to the city for events throughout the week, including dozens of performances by military musicians in full dress uniform at public parks, civic plazas, high schools and hospitals.
If Congress should pass a budget and Fleet Week goes as planned, there will be a helicopter flyout of first responders from San Francisco to meet the ships off the coast, who will do some emergency response exercises before riding in with ships early Sunday morning. San Francisco first responders learn how military first responders operate and vice versa, O’Rourke said, so should there one day be a big emergency like an earthquake the military responders will know how to best fill in any gaps the city might need.
O’Rourke said they will be disappointed if they are not able to participate in Fleet Week this year, but Navy and Marine Corps planners will begin planning our participation in the 2026 Fleet Week as early as November.
