Celebrate Morro Bay’s awesome marine heritage when the Maritime Museum hosts the Morro Bay Maritime Festival Thursday-Sunday, Oct. 9-13, in conjunction with the Chamber of Commerce.
The festival features a variety of events and fun things to do including a special showing of the classic 1934 pirate swashbuckler, “Treasure Island.”
The party starts Wednesday, Oct. 9 with Morro Bay’s Embarcadero After-Dark, a Chamber of Commerce business mixer and open house from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the recently completed Harborwalk Inn, 833 Embarcadero. Come check out the newest waterfront inn and mix and mingle with new Chamber CEO Dina Lundquist, chamber members and non-members. All are invited. Food and beverages available at standard pricing. www.morrochamber.org.
On Thursday, Oct. 10, Rock the Waterfront, the 3rd Annual Benefit for the Morro Bay Maritime Museum at the Morro Bay Yacht Club. Mega-Maritime appetizers and cocktails, silent auction adventure opportunities, and dancing on two decks with Spanky Paul Band.
Tickets are $125 (members discount available), see: www.morrobaymaritime.org.
On Friday is a live outdoor concert at Tidelands Park featuring the Zongo All Stars. The “Zongo Yachting Cup Launch Party” is from 4-8 p.m. and is a warmup for Saturday’s Zongo Cup Yacht Race to Avila Beach. Public viewing encouraged at multiple Embarcadero restaurants. https://www.bigbigslo.com/zongocup24.
The harbor cruise boat, Chablis, will be docked at Tidelands with its indoor bar open for business and La Katrina Mexican Cocina will have food for sale. Free admission to the concert; bring a folding chair or a blanket to sit on the grass.
Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. is the Third Annual Family Fun Day, at the Maritime Museum. Located at the north end of Front Street (look for the huge submarine). There will be lots of games to play and goodies to eat, tours of the museum and its various exhibits, live music, a Salinan Tribe story time, and more. Free admission.
Don’t miss the 3rd Annual Blueberry Muffin blind tasting contest from 11-Noon on Saturday at the Museum. Contenders are the 2023 winner Rudie’s Rock Espresso, plus Carla’s Country Kitchen, Rhapsody In View Boutique Hotel and Morro Bay Coffee Company. However, not even the servers – current City Councilwomen Laurel Barton and Jen Ford and 2025’s newly seated councilmembers Jeff Eckles and Bill Luffee – will know which blueberry muffin samples they are tasting until Rock Radio’s Deadair Dave announces the favorite at Noon.
Also at the Museum, at 2 p.m., a chowder blind tasting competition is served by local first responders – police, fire, harbor, and coast guard. Best Chowder contenders are last year’s favorite HofBrau, plus Bayside Café, Dorn’s Breakers Café, and Morro Grill. (www.morrobaymaritime.org)
Saturday is also a special screening of the classic swashbuckler film, “Treasure Island,” starring Wallace Beery as Long John Silver and Jackie Cooper as Jim Hawkins. Show starts at 5:30 p.m. at the Bay Theater. Tickets are $20 a person and available online from the Chamber of Commerce, see: www.morrobaychamber.com/events or at the door. Wear pirate (or British Royal Navy) outfits and earn tickets to a spectacular drawing for treasures donated by local businesses (or buy tickets for $1 each). Tickets available at www.morrobaychamber.org/events.
And all-day Saturday and Sunday, the Morro Bay Yacht Club will hold Day Sailor races in the bay in the annual MBYC Harbor Cup competition. Viewing start-to-finish at the South T-Pier. On Sunday at 11 a.m., watch the annual Chris Lockwood MBYC Junior Regatta. Open to any and all local junior sailors under 17. Registration $5. Public viewing from many Embarcadero restaurants. www.mbyc.net.
