The 68th Annual Blessing of the Fleet, a tradition dating back to 1958, will take place Thursday, May 29, behind Brotula’s Restaurant in Destin.
- The event begins at 4 p.m. with a Captain’s Testimony, Worship and Prayer Service open to the public. The blessing of the vessels will start at 5:15 p.m., followed by a fish fry hosted by Brotula’s Restaurant, with donations requested for attendance.
The annual tradition asks for God’s blessing over each boat in the Destin Fishing Fleet and has expanded to include prayers for any vessel, captain and crew “that makes their living on the sea.” In 2024, more than 158 vessels received blessings at the event.
Vessels that receive the blessing are identified by small blue Blessing of the Fleet flags flying from their masts.
Immanuel Anglican Church hosts the Blessing of the Fleet, which occurs on Ascension Day, 40 days after Easter. The church works with other area churches to preserve Destin’s character as a faith-and-family-oriented community.
- For the past 20 years, Destin-area churches, civic leaders and businesses have joined together to offer additional events during the week of Ascension Day as part of “Destin’s Week of Blessings,” which creates opportunities to support the Destin community.
The Blessing of the Fleet stands as Destin’s second oldest tradition, surpassed only by the annual Fishing Rodeo first held in 1948.
This year’s event follows the passing of William Frank Davis in July 2024, who served as Commodore for most of the Blessing’s history. His longtime assistant, Dale Allen, continues the tradition, having missed only one Blessing in the event’s 67-year history.
The Captain’s Testimony service and fish feast will be held under a tent, with the donation-based dinner prepared by Brotula’s. The public is welcome to attend all portions of the event.
