Blessing of the Fleet on Destin Harbor: 2024 Event Information

Blessing of the Fleet on Destin Harbor is one of the oldest traditions along the Emerald Coast. The 67th annual Blessing of the Fleet in Destin, Florida will take place on Thursday, May 9th 2024.

This post will cover details about the history of this event and when and where to watch.

Blessing of the Fleet takes place every year at Destin’s Fishing Fleet Marina located directly in front of Brotulas Restaurant on Destin Harbor as part of a week-long celebration known as Destin’s Week of Blessings.

The Fleet Blessing always takes place on a Thursday (unless it is moved for storms or high surf) but which Thursday in May depends on when Easter falls.

The purpose of the event is to bestow well wishes and blessings upon the vessels of those who make their living from the sea. This has grown to include both fishing charters as well as tourist excursion boats.

Several local area pastors will gather at the dock and the bless the boats one by one as they proceed in a line down the harbor–wishing them safe passage and bountiful catches for the 2024 season.

A short worship service precedes the boat blessing under the tent in front of Brotulas restaurant before the Pastors from area churches gather on a barge together.

The boats line up in the harbor and each one is called by name in front of the Pastors and blessed for safe sea passage and a bountiful harvest for all captains, crew and passengers. A fish fry on the dock follows the blessing.

Many people think of Destin as a beach destination, but long before people came here to enjoy the white sands and crystal-clear water, it was a town founded on fishing.

Whether they are part of the church community or not, most boaters in Destin enjoy the event and want to start the season by having their boat blessed.

Destin now boasts the largest fishing fleet in North America of over 125 charter fishing boats so a lot has changed since the days of it being a quaint fishing village.

That is what makes continuing this tradition so special. Events like this serve to remind us of the significant role that fishermen have played and continue to play in our beloved Destin community.

Blessing of the Fleet is a great time for everyone, including those who don’t normally go to religious events. This is a special event in Destin and there will not be another time of year where you can see this many boats on the harbor at once.

The air is thick with nostalgia as the locals come out to have their fleet blessed and Destin transforms back into the lucky fishing village it is best known for. This is the one event in town that will always feel like old Destin.

Blessing of the Fleet in Destin, Florida ~ 2024 Event Details

Date: Thursday, May 9th 2024
Time: Prayer service under the tent begins at 4:00pm followed by the Fleet Blessing at 5:15pm. After the blessing there will be a fish fry under the tent for all (donations requested).
Location: 210 HWY 98 East, Destin, Florida, 32541 (Behind Brotula’s Seafood House & Steamer)

Where to Watch Destin’s Blessing of the Fleet

The best place to watch the Blessing of the Fleet event is from is a boat if you have that option. If you don’t have a friend with a boat in the event, you can check with the many dolphin cruises and tour companies on Destin Harbor to see if they are doing any excursions that will include the Fleet Blessing.

If you don’t have a boat option then walk out on the end of the dock in front of Brotulas for the next best option. At the very end and to the right, you will see the spot where I took many of my photos of this event from and the time lapse video below.

There are also a few other spots where you can watch from around the docks in front of Brotulas so just walk around there and find a place where you can see the boats pulling up to the pastors.

It tends to get a little too crowded for the small watch spot on the dock so get there early to be in front. The blessing will go on for 2-3 hours though so even if it starts out crowded on the dock, usually you will get a spot after a little while because most people won’t stay to watch the entire thing.

City of Destin has waived the parking fees at their Marler Street lot (directly across the street from Brotuls at the corner of Marler Street and Highway 98) for this event. Normally the parking fee there is $15.

A quick time lapse video from the Destin Fleet Blessing:

Have you been to the Blessing of the Fleet on Destin Harbor? Let me know if you have any other questions or thoughts in a comment below. I appreciate your feedback and I look forward to seeing you out there!

For other events taking place in May, check out my guide here: May in Destin: Weather, Activities, Crowds, and Events

Be sure to comment below if you have any questions or feedback. I love hearing from you and prefer to answer questions on here so my answers can help others as well. Don’t forget to subscribe to my email list so you don’t miss any posts!

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Hi, I’m Sarah–the creator, writer and photographer behind this site. I sell prints, books, journals, and calendars all made from my Emerald Coast photography and I also manage a few vacation rentals on beautiful Holiday Isle in Destin if you want me to be your helpful, knowledgeable host when you visit.…..🌴😃🐬 I have a few rentals including a large house with a boat slip, a 2-bedroom condo, and a 1-bedroom apartment. All are directly on Destin Harbor with private gated access to the most beautiful beaches in Destin. If you enjoy my posts, please consider supporting my blog by shopping my products. I appreciate every sale, and it helps me continue to put out quality free content for you. Thank you SO much 🙂