If you hear explosions around the time the Anacortes Arts Festival is wrapping up Sunday, don’t worry, it’s just the tall ships Lady Washington and Hawaiian Chieftain making a grand entrance. The Official Ship of the State of Washington and her companion ship plan to arrive with cannons blazing and tie up at Cap Sante Marina at approximately 6 p.m. Aug. 3.

Anacortes will become a temporary base of operations for nearly two weeks of maritime adventures and environmental explorations of Anacortes and the San Juan Islands, as the crew hosts families, young people, and the general public for a variety of hands-on shipboard education opportunities. The ships just completed appearances at Tall Ships Challenge events in Tacoma and Victoria and Port Alberni, British Columbia.