The 69th annual Blessing of the Fleet will take place on Ascension Day, Thursday, May 14, at the docks behind Brotula’s Seafood House and Steamer on Destin Harbor.

• The event, organized by Immanuel Anglican Church, is free and open to the public. It begins at 4 p.m. with a captains’ praise and worship service held under a large tent. Following the service, around 5 p.m., clergy will process to the dock to begin blessing vessels that have registered for the ceremony.

All commercial fishing vessels, safety boats and recreational watercraft whose captains make their living on the sea are invited to participate. Registered captains will receive a Blessing of the Fleet flag — the traditional blue cross-and-dove emblem that signifies a vessel and its crew have received a blessing.

Last year, more than 130 fishing boats and watercraft received blessings. Captains wishing to have their boats blessed are asked to register in advance by emailing the vessel’s name, captain’s name, mailing address, email address and phone number to immanuel@iacdestin.org or by calling Immanuel Anglican Church at 850-837-6324.

A community fish feast will begin around 5:15 p.m., with a suggested meal donation supporting the event. Ariel Seafood and Brotula’s Seafood House and Steamer are making the feast possible, alongside community sponsors. Blessing of the Fleet T-shirts will also be available for purchase near the tent.

• Free parking is available at Brotula’s all day, with additional free parking across the street at the city parking lot beginning at 2 p.m.

The Blessing of the Fleet is part of a larger celebration known as Destin’s Week of Blessings, which takes place during the week of Ascension Day and features additional faith-focused, family-oriented events. Multiple churches throughout Destin help sponsor the events.

Each year since 1958, Destin has celebrated its ties to the sea and the faith of the fishermen who formed the early community on Ascension Day — 40 days after Easter — making the Blessing of the Fleet the city’s second-oldest tradition. Only the annual Destin Fishing Rodeo, first held in 1948, predates it.

The tradition continues as a way for the community to call upon God to bless, preserve and protect those who make their living from the waters surrounding what locals have long called their “Little Fishing Village.”

For more information on the Blessing of the Fleet and its history, visit here.