The 64th annual Windjammer Days will commemorate the 250th birthday of America and the U.S. Navy. This year’s festival will take place Sunday, June 21 through Saturday, June 27 ushering in the summer season and celebrating the region’s rich maritime heritage.

From the Grand Gathering of the Windjammer Fleet on Wednesday, June 24 to pirate duels, Artist’s Alley, cod fish races and fireworks, the festival has something for everyone. Most events are free to the public.

Each year, the festival centers around a theme that celebrates the maritime heritage of the region. The 2026 Windjammer Days will shine a spotlight on the dedicated individuals who have served or are serving our nation with distinction in the U.S. Navy. From active-duty members to retired veterans, Windjammer Days will explore their personal stories, their contributions to the community, and the impact they've made on the nation's maritime security.

Each schooner sponsor has selected a local U.S. Navy member to honor during Windjammer Days, including:

Dr. Barclay M. Shepard, Ensign, USNR, United States Maritime Services (Post World War II and Medical Corps Commander, U.S. Navy (Vietnam War), who says many of his greatest memories of his 100 years of life come from his military experience. A native of Boothbay Harbor, he graduated from Bowdoin College and Tufts Medical School after leaving the Merchant Marine. He volunteered to serve in Vietnam and was assigned to one of the two Navy hospital ships serving off the coast of Vietnam. After retiring from the Navy in 1978, he joined the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Steve Rosser joined the U.S. Navy right out of college, graduating from Officer Candidate School and serving on KIDS Class Destroyer USS Callaghan as a Surface Warfare Officer. He served on active duty for 9 years, with tours in Asia and Washington DC, followed by 15 years in the Naval Reserves and more than 30 years in a number of programs in the defense industry, supporting Nagy and Missile Defense programs and traveling the world.

Jay Quinn says the Navy gave him a chance to do something meaningful with his life and build character. He served four years, completing several patrols as a radioman aboard a ballistic missile submarine. He was honorably discharged as a frocked second-class petty officer RM2SS (Submarine Service).

William Carroll was inspired by two brothers from his hometown who had gone before him into the SEAL Teams. William enlisted after graduating from college, serving as a Navy SEAL and specializing as a Joint Terminal Attack Controller. His service took him across the Middle East, Pacific, and Europe. He credits his time in the SEAL Teams with shaping every aspect of who he is today.

Jason Higgins joined the US Navy at age 17 out of a deep sense of patriotism and a desire to protect others. He was trained as an electrician and then completed Basic Underwater Demolition/SEAL training. He was assigned to SEAL Team Four and traveled the world, including three deployments to the Middle East.

Andy Benedict also enlisted right after high school and said he had the “best job in the Navy” as a Photographers Mate. He went from “A” school in Pensacola, Florida to Washington, DC., then was transferred to the Brunswick Naval Air Station. His deployments took him all over the world and taught him responsibility and dependability.

Donald Higgins felt that joining the Navy was his destiny, coming from a line of military men that traces back to service under George Washington. His father served in WWII, and Don and all four of his brothers followed in his footsteps and joined the military. Don enlisted at age 17 and was a ship’s serviceman aboard the USS Marvin Shields based in San Diego. He credits his time in the Navy with preparing him for his career as a shipbuilder for nearly 29 years at Bath Iron Works.

Mark Welsh signed up for the Navy, in part, to experience the world beyond his small hometown in New Mexico. He graduated from “A” School as a Gunners Mate and traveled through the Pacific aboard the USS Tuscaloosa LST 1187.

Jerry Farnham, a Boothbay Harbor native, wanted to see the world and saw the Navy as a way to do that. His original plan was to spend four years in the Navy right after high school but stayed on longer due to 9/11 and a sense of duty to his country at that pivotal time. Originally trained as a mechanic, his career shifted to base police and security work. Making friends with a diverse group of shipmates from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds was an impactful part of his Navy experience.

Griffin Kane grew up on the water in Boothbay Harbor, hearing stories about his grandfather and great-grandfather, who both served in the U.S. Navy, stories that planted a seed that would soon take root. After starting his studies at Bentley College, Griffin enlisted in the Navy as a Nuke School candidate, training aboard a fast attack submarine through the Naval Nuclear Power Training Command. After two years of intense training, he qualified as an Electronics Mate Nuclear (EMN) and was stationed in Guam aboard the USS Annapolis. He has also completed Advanced Firefighting School in Pearl Harbor and has been promoted to Petty Officer First Class.

Hugh Wyman Howard III knew from age 5 that he would follow in his father’s footsteps and join the Navy. The only college he applied to in high school was the U.S. Naval Academy. He was a Navy SEAL for 32 years, serving as Commander of Naval Special Warfare Development Group during the largest single combat loss in US Special Operations history. He counts that time as his proudest moment of service for how the team and families were able to stay on mission while honoring the fallen and serving their standard during the tragedy.

Patrick Lakeman enlisted in the US Navy in 2000, and is still on active duty, currently serving as the Task Force Commander Officer to Task Force 70, permanently embarked on a Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier USS George Washington, deployed in Yokusuka, Japan. Growing up on the water on Southport Island, he was inspired to join the Navy out of a sense of wanting adventure and a different path in life.

Linc Sample announced to his mother, at age 4, that he was going to become a sailor after seeing a recruiting poster near the local post office. He enlisted shortly after graduating high school and attended Steelworker “A” school to learn welding, cutting, concrete reinforcement, and more. Advanced to E3 and given his choice of orders, he went to Adak, Alaska and worked in Public Works; the next spring, he was deployed to Rota, Spain with Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 74. He spent several years as a SeaBee, serving in Puerto Rico and Japan among other places.

To read their full stories, more information about the festival and the schedule of events, visit visit https://www.boothbayharborwindjammerdays.org/

Windjammer Days is presented by Friends of Windjammer Days with generous support from sponsors: Pine State Trading, Bangor Savings Bank, Carousel Marina, Cabbage Island Clambakes, The Eldridge Family, Shoreline Capital, The Doering Family, Jeff Suyematsu and Laney Hebert, DownEast Magazine, Knickerbocker Group, Marin Skin Care, Boston Beer, Valley Beverage, FORJ, Tindal & Callahan, Gimbel & Sons Country Store, Errin Siagel and Teresa Koster, Doyle Family Trust, Boothbay Harbor Country Club, Coastal Prime, First National Bank, Sample’s Shipyard, XTRATUF, Batela, Pepsi, Boothbay Harbor Inn, Fisherman’s Wharf, Tugboat Inn, Fidium, Farrell & Norton Naval Architects.