Before highways, before bridges, before most of the roads we drive on today, the Mosquito Fleet was how Puget Sound stayed connected. Hundreds of small steamships criss-crossed these waters, ferrying passengers, freight, mail, and gossip between communities that otherwise had no way to reach each other.
Most of those ships are gone now. But Port Orchard hasn’t forgotten — and every Memorial Day weekend, the town throws a festival to honor them.
Mosquito Fleet Fest is Port Orchard’s annual celebration of Puget Sound’s maritime heritage — a two-day weekend on the downtown waterfront featuring historic vessel tours, story sailings, vendors, music, food, and one of Kitsap’s most enduringly weird traditions: the Seagull Calling Contest.
It launched in 2024 as a one-day event and expanded to a full weekend in 2025. The 2026 edition runs Saturday, May 23, and Sunday, May 24 — Memorial Day weekend — entirely along Bay Street and the Port Orchard Marina.
Admission to the festival is free. Story Sailings on the Carlisle II require advance tickets through the Port Orchard Bay Street Association (pobsa.com).
Quick history: “Mosquito Fleet” was the nickname Puget Sound communities gave the swarm of small steamships that connected them in the late 1800s through the 1920s. They buzzed in and out of harbors all day — hence the name.
The festival’s centerpiece is the Carlisle II, one of the last continuously-operated Mosquito Fleet vessels in the Pacific Northwest. Built in 1917 in Bellingham, she originally hauled freight and passengers between Bellingham and a salmon cannery on Lummi Island. She’s been running passengers between Port Orchard and Bremerton for decades — and she’s still doing it.
During Mosquito Fleet Fest, the Carlisle II offers Story Sailings — 90-minute narrated cruises departing from the Port Orchard foot ferry terminal. They sell out. Book early.
Heads up: the Carlisle II is a historic vessel and not ADA compliant. There are stairs and confined restroom spaces. Reach out to the Port Orchard Bay Street Association directly if you have mobility needs — they’ll work with you on accommodations.
Photo credit: Tiffany Diamond/Courtesty of Greater Kitsap Chamber
Port Orchard is one of the most fun Kitsap towns to arrive in by water.
If you’re coming from Seattle, take the Seattle–Bremerton ferry, then walk straight onto the 12-minute Port Orchard foot ferry across Sinclair Inlet. It’s one of the most underrated experiences on Puget Sound — and you’ll arrive right at the festival.
From Tacoma, cross the Tacoma Narrows Bridge and drive 25 minutes north. From Bremerton, it’s about 15 minutes by car around the inlet. From Seattle by car (with the Bremerton ferry), about 90 minutes total.
More on getting to Port Orchard: visitkitsap.com/get-here
Photo by Olya Blase Lens
Start at the Port Orchard Farmers Market (open by 9 a.m.), grab a coffee, and walk into the festival. Catch the 11 a.m. Carlisle II Story Sailing if you’ve snagged tickets.
Lunch on Bay Street. Browse the antique shops along Bay (Port Orchard’s other claim to fame). Catch the “Past, Present & Future” panel for ferry-history nerds.
Slow morning. Coffee on the boardwalk. Cheer on the Seagull Calling Contest (yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like). Walk the StoryWalk and learn what’s actually behind those Bay Street facades.
Port Orchard’s lodging fills up Memorial Day weekend — book 3+ weeks ahead if possible. Browse all places to stay on the Kitsap Peninsula: visitkitsap.com/stay-here
Mosquito Fleet Fest is Port Orchard at its most Port Orchard. Two days. Free to attend. Floating museums and seagull impersonators. Make a weekend of it.
More Port Orchard: explore the Port Orchard destination page or browse upcoming Kitsap events.