Despite a day darkened by clouds and dampened by rain, thousands of people, many dressed in red, white and blue, thronged the Inner Harbor yesterday for the city's Fourth of July Sailabration, which brought tall-masted ships from across the globe to the Baltimore Harbor.
In celebration of the 150th year of Baltimore's Constellation - the Navy's last all-sail warship and the last Civil War-era naval vessel still afloat - ships from Nova Scotia, Romania, Uruguay and other foreign countries docked in the Inner Harbor and opened their decks to visitors.
"It's tremendous," said Fred Eckerts, the patriarch of the Eckerts family of Woodstock and Mount Airy, which had just finished touring the Cisne Branco, a 257-foot square-rigged training vessel, whose name means "white swan" in Portuguese. "They should be in port more often."
Eckerts' sentiments were echoed yesterday by many harbor-goers who said the tall, handsome ships gave Baltimore's premier tourist attraction a regal air.
Sean Forrester of Pasadena couldn't wait to bring his two children to see the small fleet.
"I just remember being a small child in '76, back when they had a few here for the bicentennial," he said. "The harbor was full of them. It was beautiful."
Scores of people waited in long lines to tour the tall ships, in particular the Mircea of Romania, which was built in 1939 and was one of the oldest on display.
In addition to the tall ships - which will begin sailing out of the harbor at 7 a.m. today - visitors were able to go on walking tours of the harbor or bus tours of the city. They could stroll the shops inside Harborplace when it rained, or listen to live music outside when the rain held off.
The St. Veronica's Youth Steel Orchestra jammed Caribbean-style on steel drums and other percussion instruments for a dancing, clapping audience. It was the group's third year performing as part of the Inner Harbor's Independence Day celebration.
Although the form of music originated in Trinidad and Tobago, said director Anthony McFarlane, the youth orchestra's music is very patriotic.
"We live here, and we pay homage to the U.S.," McFarlane said. "We want to celebrate with them their independence. Because even though we're from the Caribbean, we are brothers and sisters with the people here."
As early as midmorning, many were making their way to stake out a spot on Federal Hill, which offers a view of fireworks in the night sky.
Suzanne Rosman, an event volunteer, urged the Petraites family from Germantown to find a home on the hill as early as possible, warning that more than 100,000 people visit the Inner Harbor every year for the fireworks show.
"So it'll be crowded, then?" Bob Petraites asked.
"That's not the word," Rosman told him. "You'll be a sardine, a living sardine tonight."
The family, which had never been to the harbor for the Fourth of July, took the idea of being crammed next to so many other visitors in stride.
"Well, what time do they start sardining?" Bob Petraites asked.
The pyrotechnic show started at about 9:30 p.m., as planned, with dozens of vehicles lining the outside lanes of the Jones Falls Expressway so that the people inside could get a better view.
The red, white and blue theme turned up in many places yesterday, on hats, pins, T-shirts and flip-flops. Families sauntered around looking as if they had Betsy Ross as a personal shopper.
One 3-year-old, Kamri Sabathe, had her tiny right arm held in place by a red, white and blue-striped cast, which she and her mother, Rebecca Sabathe, had decorated with red stick-on stars.
The Sabathes traveled from Haddon Heights, N.J., near Philadelphia, for yesterday's Inner Harbor activities after Kamri broke her arm attempting a cartwheel.
"You can't go to the beach with a cast," said her father, Dan Sabathe.
Independence Day closings
This schedule will be in effect for the Independence Day holiday observed today, July 5:
Anne Arundel County
County offices: closed
Courts: closed
Libraries: closed
Trash: no trash pickup
Annapolis
City offices: closed
Courts: closed
Parking meters: feed
Trash: no trash pickup
Baltimore
City offices: closed
Courts: closed
Libraries: closed
Parking meters: do not feed
Trash: no trash pickup
Baltimore County
County offices: closed
Courts: closed
Libraries: closed
Parking meters: do not feed
Trash: no trash pickup
Carroll County
County offices: closed
Courts: closed
Libraries: closed
Senior centers: closed
Trash: ask contractor
Landfill: closed
Frederick County
County offices: closed
Courts: closed
Libraries: closed
Trash: ask contractor
Harford County
County offices: closed
Courts: closed
Libraries: closed
Trash: ask contractor
Howard County
County offices: closed
Courts: closed
Libraries: closed
Parking meters: feed
Trash: no trash pickup; landfill and recycling center closed.
Other services, attractions
Banks, S&Ls;: closed
Federal offices: closed
Federal courts: closed
Post office: closed; delivery of mail is limited to Express Mail.
State offices: closed
MVA offices: closed
VEIP stations: closed
MTA buses: Sunday service
MTA commuter buses: No service. Check the MTA Web site, www.mtamaryland.com, for information on a route, or call 410-539-5000.
Subway (Metro): Sunday service
Light rail: Sunday service
MARC: No service
Mobility: Holiday service
MTA Information services: closed
Certification office: closed
MTA Transit Store: closed
The Baltimore Museum of Art: closed
Walters Art Museum: closed
Port Discovery: Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
National Aquarium: Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Science Center: Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Zoo: Open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.