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Join us in New Bedford, America's largest commercial fishing port, to learn about the men and women who harvest the North Atlantic. Walk the decks of a scalloper, dine on fresh seafood, mend a fishing net and watch a Coast Guard rescue demonstration. Experience the workings of the industry which brings seafood from the ocean to your plate.
Saturday 11:00 am to 6:00 pm
Sunday 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Festival held rain or shine!
Artists 16 years and older are invited to submit a creative design for the 2012 Festival t-shirt, poster and program guide. Entries must be emailed by or postmarked no later than May 7th. The winning entry will be announced at Commercial Marine Expo on June 13th!
Something Fishy Summer Camp is a free one week camp experience presented in conjunction with New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park. New Bedford youth entering grades 4 & 5 are invited to apply. Campers are chosen by lottery to participate in a fun filled week of hands-on learning about the Port of New Bedford from whaling days to the present.
Films about the working waterfront are presented on the third Friday of each month beginning at 7:00 PM in the theater of the Corson Maritime Learning Center, located at 33 William Street in downtown New Bedford. All programs are open to the public and presented free of charge.
The next programs in the series are:
The Dock-u-mentaries film series continues Friday, May 18th at 7PM with two films which consider the impact of coastal development on fishing communities:
Maine's Disappearing Working Waterfront touches on the loss of the Working Waterfront on the Maine Coast. Of 5 thousand miles of coastline, only 25 miles remain as Working Waterfront.
In Their Own Words: Perseverance and Resilience in Two Florida Fishing Communities examines the changes endured by two Florida coastal communities as they struggle with issues of natural resource dependence and coastal development.
June 15th - Wild Caught: The Life and Struggles of an American Fishing Town (2008)
A feature-length documentary that explores the lives of small-scale commercial fishermen living in Snead's Ferry, North Carolina. Film screening will be followed by a discussion with the film makers.
Pouring nearly a billion dollars a year into the local economy, New Bedford is the largest fishing port in the United States. Along with the men and women who fish local waters, countless other trades support the fishing fleet, creating a vibrant and powerful economic engine centered in the heart of New England. The portraits within this book of the individuals who work the waterfront provide a window into the complexity of the industry as a whole.
Visit our new online store to get your copy.
The book is also available for sale at the following retailers:
VOICES FROM THE PORT is a series of short audio pieces based on oral histories collected as part of the Working Waterfront Documentation Project. The programs are designed to provide a window into the history and culture of the working port, and encourage listeners to visit New Bedford, America's #1 Port to learn more. The project was made possible with funding from Mass Humanities.
The Working Waterfront Festival will present the many popular activities of past years including performances of music, dance and poetry; demonstrations and contests of industry skills; tours of workboats; documentary films and footage at sea; cooking demonstrations; author readings; children's activities; U.S. Coast Guard demos; Tug Boat Muster; whaleboat races, and more!
Harbor Tours are offered at a discounted rate during the Festival weekend. Food and beverages are available for sale with proceeds benefiting the Working Waterfront Festival.
