Mobile is one of just 15 cities nationwide selected to host Navy Week this year, and Mayor Sandy Stimpson’s office has released a packed schedule of public events running from Thursday, Feb. 23 through the following Tuesday, giving residents a chance to tour Navy ships, watch a parachute demonstration and catch the Navy Band in several Mardi Gras parades.
“We are honored to be one of the 15 cities selected to host Navy Week, one of the Navy’s signature outreach programs,” Stimpson said in a statement. “I encourage all of our citizens to take advantage of this opportunity to learn about the Navy, its people and its importance to national security. Whether you’re taking a tour of the USS Mitscher, watching the ‘Leap Frogs’ jump to Mardi Gras Park or cheering on the Navy Band during a parade, please welcome our Navy with Mobile’s famous Southern hospitality.”
The celebration kicks off Thursday, Feb. 23 with a Navy Week Mobile kickoff event at Battleship Memorial Park at 8:50 a.m., followed that evening by the Navy Parachute Team, known as the “Leap Frogs,” performing a jump into Mardi Gras Park at 5:30 p.m.
On Friday, Feb. 24, Navy sailors are scheduled to take part in a Habitat for Humanity project, while the Navy Oceanographic Office sets up an exhibit at the Exploreum Science Museum from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. That evening, the Navy Band will march in the Crewe of Columbus parade starting at 6 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 25 offers residents the chance to tour the USS Mitscher, open to the public from 8 to 10 a.m. and again from 1 to 3 p.m. The Navy Oceanographic Office exhibit continues at the Exploreum throughout the day, while the USS Constitution Color Guard marches in the Floral parade at 10:30 a.m. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians and divers will set up a dive tank at Mardi Gras Park from noon to 6 p.m., and the Navy Band performs a concert at the USS Alabama Park Pavilion at 2 p.m. before marching in the Mystics of Time parade that evening at 6 p.m.
On Sunday, Feb. 26, the USS Mitscher remains open for tours from 8 to 10 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. The Navy Band performs a noon concert at Mardi Gras Park, while the Explosive Ordnance Disposal team and divers return with their dive tank display from noon to 6 p.m. The Navy Band closes out the day marching in the Le Krewe de Bienville parade at 5 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 27 features the USS Constitution Color Guard in the King’s parade at 10:30 a.m., followed by the Navy Band marching in the Floral parade at noon. In the early afternoon, sailors will take part in a community relations project at Feeding the Gulf Coast food bank from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., before the Navy Band closes the day with a concert at Mardi Gras Park at 4:30 p.m.
The week wraps up Tuesday, Feb. 28 with the USS Mitscher open for tours from 8 to 10 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m., and the Navy Band marching in the King Felix III parade at 1 p.m.
City officials are encouraging residents to take part throughout the week, framing Navy Week as both a celebration of the armed forces and an opportunity for the public to connect with sailors serving around the country.