The Chicago Maritime Festival is an international gathering to celebrate Chicago’s maritime community. It is an event organized by the Chicago Maritime Society, the Chicago History Museum, and Common Times.

In 2003, the first Chicago Maritime Festival produced the most diverse maritime program ever staged in Chicago. The festival drew over 1,000 people to its seminars, concerts, school programs, and shanty sing.  Since then, the festival and festival outreach programs have been attended by more than 30,000!  Festival goers enjoy over 30 seminars and workshops plus ship models, displays, and demonstrations presented by the individuals and organizations that make up the maritime community in Chicago as well as some presenters from across the country and across the sea.

Topics have included underwater archeology, maritime history, weather, Pacific voyaging traditions, ecology, whales, maritime traditions a variety of places around the world, maritime Civil War songs, knot tying, marine safety, to name a few. For more information on the history of presentations at the festivals see the Past Years menu on the Home page.

Please visit their website for more information.