DEPOE BAY — One of the most famous events in Oregon, the 81st Annual Fleet of Flowers will take place on Monday, May 25, 2026 — also celebrated as Memorial Day. The colorful tribute will begin at 11 a.m.

Awash in martial pageantry, patriotic songs and U.S. flags rippled by ocean breezes, the Fleet of Flowers pays tribute to heroes past and present. In a powerful finale, flower-bedecked boats of the Depoe Bay charter fleet, packed to the gunwales with passengers and escorted by two 47-ft. USCG surf rescue boats, will proceed under the bridge for a somber wreath-laying ceremony at sea.

The Fleet of Flowers is an all-new group this year after the retirement of volunteers Kathy Wyatt and Clary Grant, who led the organization for more than a decade. Under the direction of Lincoln Beach resident Jerry Springer, new features are already in motion, including an audio-visual component with speakers at bridge level connected to the action by 5G wireless commo.

While the VIP grandstand, seating and music draw hundreds to the harbor parking lot, the Hwy. 101 bridge and Whale Watch Center crowds are often just as large but have been unable to see or hear the ceremonies. The changes are timely, as two musical performers will be featured this year. Master of Ceremonies will be Senior Chief Amber Archer of U.S. Coast Guard Station Depoe Bay, with local veterans presenting service flags. A special guest will be Chief Depoe, the town’s hereditary tribal leader, in his 90th-plus year.

A highlight of the vivid flag ceremony is the presentation of colors by the U.S. Coast Guard Honor Guard, followed by a 21-gun salute.

This year’s event will be especially poignant with the recent loss of so many well-known locals, including one of the fleet’s young skippers, Roman Smolcik, who energized the fishing industry with his enthusiasm, and Melissa Allyn, a young and vibrant Depoe Bay woman who rose to the top of the legal world and was also the granddaughter of charter fishing icon Stan Allyn.

Rife with maritime flourishes including fresh marine air, grizzled skippers and the cough of diesel engines starting to life, the Fleet of Flowers began in 1936 to honor a pair of Depoe Bay fishermen who their lost lives attempting to save their friend and two teenage boys caught in a storm beyond the harbor’s entrance.

A shuttle service will bring people down to the harbor for the ceremony as the bridge is under construction and the view will be obstructed.

For up-to-the-minute news on this year’s event, parking information or tips on attending, visit fleetofflowers.com/event-info.