Fleet Week Fair

Fleet Week descended upon San Francisco last week with a bang. An estimated 1 million people visited the city over the three day weekend with the highlight for most being the Blue Angels Air Show on Saturday and Sunday. The Blue Angels heart stopping aerial performance seems to defy gravity and amazes me every time I see it. But for me the highlight this year was the fair on the lawn at Marina Green. John and I wandered along the shore taking in the family friendly festivities prior going to a friend's house for a roof top Blue Angels party.

The fair was nothing like the fair I knew as a kid. It was spectacular!

One game that caught my eye was the what I like to call "the hamster balls." Parents, actually pay for their kids to climb into a big hamster ball and roll around in a big above ground pool and try and beat the crap out of each other. It was absolutely hilarious to watch. Most kids were too small to maneuver in the ball thus it was a camera friendly show of kids flopping around in big hamster balls, but the potential was there.

The giant blow up monkey and so many other cool blow up bounce type things for kids to go crazy on.

Another great game was the massive two sided blow up slide shaped like a ship.

While some played at the fair, ten thousand or so people relaxed on the lawn at Marina Green waiting for the big Blue Angel show start to at 3pm. We bought some snacks at one of the three booths selling fair like food; hot dogs, chicken tenders, fries, and other fine unhealthy items and perused at the few souvenir booths selling military t-shirts, hats. I happily gawked at the sailors and made sailor jokes such as "Dirty sailors going from port to port."

Before we left the fair for the roof party we caught the annual United Airlines 747 fly by. It a sight to be seen as a massive 747 flies low along bay at the Marina Green circling over Alcatraz and back two times before returning to Oakland Airport. Its a shout out for the airlines as a sponsor but its spectacular none the less. The plane is so low and seems incredibly big and it brings a smile to most every one's face (and a bit of fear). As the plane flies by the announcer tells of the history and great service of the fine people of United Airlines in a classic baseball announcer of the 50's voice. Its hilarious.

I love Fleet Week. Planes, boats, food, beer, games, sun and sailors! Next year I recommend checking out the fair and the Marina Green before enjoying the big Blue Angel air show on a friend's roof.