NORFOLK, Va. — Festival goers gathered in downtown Norfolk Sunday for the final day of Harborfest, getting their last look at tall ships and soaking up every last moment of the three-day maritime celebration.
The 50th Harborfest served as a birthday gift for Stacey Wallenfelt. She grew up sailing in Maryland and spent the final day of the festival searching for a ship that brought back memories of her time on the water.
"So there's a ship here that I think is from Maryland that I am trying to see that when I raced was race Kennedy boat and I want to see that boat again," Wallenfelt said.
"This has been so amazing to see the tall ships," Wallenfelt said.
For many visitors, the ships offered a chance to reconnect with memories of life on the water.
"I've been on the tall ships before but nothing like that, that is awesome," Kay Lee said.
Whether visitors traveled from across the country or just across the harbor, there was something to inspire everyone.
"My favorite ship was the Mary or something downtown in Portsmouth. Because it was a small ship, but it was a mighty ship and it's like one of the smallest ships here but it's like inspirational because small ships can be stronger than bigger ships sometimes," Helena Burgess said.
As the ships prepare to leave port, visitors are taking with them memories from a milestone year for the festival.
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