The Navy holds the first ever Fleet Week in Miami; that’s when
MIAMI “Next year Miami will host the first Fleet Week.
Magic City has already hosted various Navy Weeks and visits by US Navy ships, but its first official Navy Week will take place in Port Miami in May 2024, district and Navy officials said in a joint statement Friday.
US Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro joined Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and other senior officials for the announcement.
“It’s going to be a great time in Miami next May,” Del Toro said.
Del Toro, a Cuban-American, grew up in Manhattan, but Miami’s Freedom Tower was his family’s first stop after emigrating from the island in 1962, when he was just one year old.
“As a Cuban-American, I feel at home in Miami,” he said.
The Navy will showcase ships and personnel when service members test the 305th from May 7 to 13.
“Everyone has a port,” said Miami-Dade Commission Chairman Oliver Gilbert III. “They have water, they have things, but we have style.”
Del Toro said sailors will be able to experience the culture, food and music that Miami has to offer.
“I expect to see some sailors and marines dancing,” he said.
And they’re likely to find a Fleet Week special at The New Schnitzel House in the MiMo neighborhood of the Upper East Side, where owner Adam Gersten says the prime time for the hospitality industry in the area is right after spring break.
“(It) helps us get through slower times like it’s in the summer,” he said.
Levin Kawa said she and other county officials are “delighted to showcase the Navy’s outstanding work to our residents and guests.”
Event rescheduled from Port Everglades
Miami Fleet Week means the event will no longer be held in Fort Lauderdale.
“The Navy is incredibly pleased to accept the county’s invitation to bring our ships and sailors to Port Miami for Miami Fleet Week 2024,” said Captain Patrick Evans, a spokesman for the Secretary of the Navy. “We hope this is the start of an amazing relationship that we can enjoy for years to come.”
Evans said that Fort Lauderdale “has been a wonderful place for over 30 years.”
The Port Everglades also released a statement on Friday:
“Fleet Week has been held at the Port of the Everglades for 33 years now and we are ready to serve the US Navy when they return to our port.
We are willing and ready to share our decades of Fleet Week knowledge with our colleagues at PortMiami and have already reached out to offer assistance.
While we will miss a chance to serve the US Navy and the community, this change will bring us welcome relief as we focus on our preparations for the cruise season in May, which includes our port hosting almost twice as many cruise ships next year. . summer as usual.
Jonathan Daniels, Port Everglades General Manager and Port Director
For more information on Miami Fleet Week, visit his website.
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