San Francisco Fleet Week's final three days, Saturday, October 10, to Monday, October 12, 2026, bring free ship tours at Piers 27 and 35, free general admission to the air show at Marina Green and military band concerts around the city, according to the organizer's website.
San Francisco Fleet Week, which runs from Sunday, October 4, to Monday, October 12, presents itself as a salute to the people who serve in the U.S. armed forces. Its pages list no events specifically for veterans in the closing days. Several events center instead on meeting service members: the ship-tour page invites the public aboard to talk with Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel.
Ship tours at Piers 27 and 35
Ship tours run from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, October 10, and Sunday, October 11, at both piers, and from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM on Monday, October 12, at Pier 35 only. They are free and first come, first served. The page names five ships, the Navy's USS Ashland and USS Cape St. George and the Coast Guard cutters Munro, Benjamin Bottoms and George Cobb, without saying which pier each is at.
Visitors over 18 need a valid government-issued ID, and visitors under 18 must be with an adult. Bags are searched and can be no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches. Strollers, food, drinks, pets, glass, weapons and drones are not allowed, nor are open-toe shoes or high heels on board. Because of steep ladders and uneven surfaces, the page cautions that tours may not be safe for some visitors with disabilities, and it offers a pier-side alternative.
Air show at Marina Green
The air show flies from 12:00 to 4:00 PM on Saturday, October 10, and Sunday, October 11, with no show on Monday. The U.S. Navy Blue Angels headline a lineup that also lists the F-22 Raptor and Marine Corps F-35B demonstration teams, a Coast Guard C-27 and HH-65 demonstration and a U-2 flyover. General admission is free, the air show page says; paid tickets and a VIP package are also sold.
Fleet Fest and the Service and Safety Expo
Fleet Fest, near the SkyStar Wheel at Fisherman's Wharf (2860 Taylor St.), runs from 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM on Saturday, October 10, and 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM on Sunday, October 11, with live music, food, classic and military vehicles and family activities. The Service and Safety Expo at Pier 27 keeps the same hours, with military and first-responder teams, live demonstrations and a look at military and public-safety careers. The organizer's pages list no admission prices for either.
Military bands around the city
The free Neighborhood Concert Series lists these performances, among others:
Saturday, October 10
- 11:00 AM: 1st Marine Division Brass Band, Fleet Fest
- 11:00 AM: Navy Band Southwest Brass Band, K9 Heroes at Duboce Park
- 12:00 PM: Rock Band Mobility, U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West, Fleet Fest
- 4:00 PM: 1st Marine Division brass group, West Portal Patio
- 5:00 PM: Navy Band Southwest Brass Band at Fleet Fest; Navy Band Southwest Destroyers at Pier 39
Sunday, October 11
- 11:00 AM: Travis Brass, U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West, Fleet Fest
- 12:30 PM: 1st Marine Division Ceremonial Band and Navy Band Southwest Parade Band, in the Italian Heritage Parade from Jefferson and Powell to Washington Park
- 2:00 PM: 191st Army Big Band, Fleet Fest
- 5:00 PM: Mobility, U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West, Pier 39
Monday, October 12
- 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM: the free High School Band Challenge at the Golden Gate Park Band Shell, opened by the 1st Marine Division Band before Bay Area high school bands compete
Also on the schedule
K9 Heroes, a free celebration of working dogs and their handlers, takes place at Duboce Park on Saturday, October 10, starting at 10:00 AM; the organizer's pages disagree on when it ends. The Interfaith Center at the Presidio lists a Blessing of the Fleet interfaith service at 9:00 AM on Sunday, October 11, at the Presidio Chapel, 130 Fisher Loop, with an RSVP required.
Earlier in Fleet Week
The few Fleet Week events aimed at veterans were scheduled before the final weekend. The concert series listed a 1st Marine Division Brass Quintet at the San Francisco VA Medical Center on Wednesday, October 7. On Thursday, October 8, the Honor Our Fallen Concert, which its page billed as a tribute to fallen service members and their families, was set for the Marines' Memorial Theatre, and American Legion Cathay Post 384 planned a Heroes Block Party at 1524 Powell St. The San Francisco Public Library's Glen Park branch scheduled a Navy Band Woodwind Quintet set, tagged for veterans' interest, on Friday, October 9.
In Daly City, more than 30 uniformed military members spent Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at Ocean View Stables for Saved by the Saddle's Fleet Week at the Barn day.
If you go
- Monday, October 12, is short: the last ship tours at Pier 35 and the High School Band Challenge, both from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and no air show.
- Some times differ across the organizer's own pages, so check each event's page before heading out.
Visit San Francisco Fleet Week
From Saved by the Saddle
Heroes and Horses, Saved by the Saddle's free program for veterans, meets as Coffee and Horsemanship on the second and fourth Mondays of every month, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, on the ground at Ocean View Stables in Daly City. Veterans of any branch, era or length of service are welcome, Guard and Reserve included, and no horse experience is needed.
Sources: San Francisco Fleet Week, home page (undated); San Francisco Fleet Week, "Ship Tours" (undated); San Francisco Fleet Week, "Air Show" (undated); San Francisco Fleet Week, "Fleet Fest" (undated); San Francisco Fleet Week, "Neighborhood Concert Series" (undated); San Francisco Fleet Week, "K9 Heroes" (undated); San Francisco Fleet Week, "Honor Our Fallen Concert" (undated); San Francisco Public Library, Navy Band Woodwind Quintet event listing (undated); Interfaith Center at the Presidio, home page (undated)