Celebrating Stories of the Sea: Wooden Boats in Film & Fiction
Event Open to The Public June 13 & 14, 2025
Newport Beach, CA – (March 19, 2024) – There is something undeniably romantic about a great adventure at sea. Think back to when a great sea tale first captured your imagination. Was it Jim Hawkins setting sail on the Hispaniola in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island? Or perhaps it was seeing Marlin Brando as Fletcher Christian in the 1962 classic Mutiny on the Bounty? Or possibly for our younger readers it was the fantastic specter of the Black Pearl in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies? This year the Newport Beach Wooden Boat Festival brings the spirit of high seas adventure to Balboa Yacht Club with the wonderfully apt theme of Stories of the Sea: Wooden Boats in Film & Fiction. Now in its 9th year, the NBWBF will take place over June 13th and 14th and feature an all-star line-up of some classic wooden boats that have appeared in film and fiction over the years, as well as been owned by stars of the silver screen. The featured boat of the festival is the fully restored Western Flyer, the famed sardine trawler that John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts took to the Sea of Cortez as detailed in the Steinbeck classic, The Log from the Sea of Cortez.
“Beautiful wooden boats have always been at the center of our festival – the true stars of our event. This year we’re putting a spotlight on these magnificent water craft by highlighting their leading role in so many of the books and movies we fondly hold on to,” said event co-chair Denise Archambault.
Friday night’s Premiere (June 13th) opens-up the festival with all the glitz and glam of a golden-age Hollywood premier. There will be cocktails, heavy hors d’oeuvres, and special entertainment befitting the theme. Attendees will be able to preview some of the boats on the docks, browse on-the-land displays, and
bid on themed live auction items to take you on your own adventures. This star-studded event lights up the night for the ticketed price of $95 and unfortunately will be capped at 300 people, so be sure to reserve in advance through the event website.
Proceeds from the Friday night auction and a portion of ticket sales go to benefit the ALS Foundation in honor of the Festival’s Founder, Ralph Rodheim, fund a scholarship for a deserving young shipwright at the Northwest School of Boat Building and support youth sailing programs on the bay.Saturday (June 14th) features 30+ iconic boats on the land and on the water for festival goers to explore up close. Feel history come alive through our distinguished speakers who will tell the tales of these iconic boats. Attendees can also walk the Wooden Boat Walk of Fame, peruse the curated photo exhibit Cruising with Legends, The Boats of Hollywood’s Elite or cruise with The Duke by catching a ride on John Wayne’s
icon of the bay, the Wild Goose for the ticketed price of $65 (includes Saturday admission).
“This year our festival’s gotten bigger by getting smaller,” said event co-chair Stephen Paljieg. In collaboration with the Newport Beach Aquatic Center, the club’s South Lot will be filled with wooden rowing vessels of all shapes and sizes – including some which have competed in the Olympic Games. Celebrated in the movie The Boys In The Boat, these magnificent wooden rowing-craft have their own special stories to tell.
“Come for the boats and stay for the day!” added the festival’s co-chairs.
For those guests wishing to spend a full weekend at the festival and on beautiful Newport Beach Harbor Bay, a special weekend stay package is offered by the festival’s hotel sponsor, the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach, at www.newportbeachwoodenboatfestival.com. The 2025 Newport Beach Wooden Boat Festival is presented by Whittier Trust and hosted by the Balboa Yacht Club (1801 Bayside Dr, Corona Del Mar, CA) in collaboration with the City of Newport Beach, the County of Orange, and Visit Newport Beach. Saturday festival tickets are $15, cruises on the Wild Goose are $65 (includes Sat admission), and Friday
Premier Night are $95 (advanced purchase only). All tickets can be purchased online at www.newportbeachwoodenboatfestival.com beginning Tuesday, April 1st. Saturday Festival Tickets can also be purchased at the gate, June 14th – the festival’s main event day. For more information on the festival visit our website at www.newportbeachwoodenboatfestival.com.
Media Contact:
Stephen Paljieg (949) 353 – 9752 chairman@newportbeachwoodenboatfestival.net
Denise Archambault (949) 353 – 9753 chairman@newportbeachwoodenboatfestival.net
