San Francisco Fisherman's Wharf hosts Fleet Fest for the first time

The annual Fleet Week celebration took over San Francisco, bringing throngs of people to view the Blue Angels and other precision aerial flight teams. But new this year at Fisherman's Wharf was Fleet Fest, an on-the-ground festival that may be just what the doctor ordered for the struggling tourist destination.The crowds streamed into the San Francisco waterfront area, heading to Fleet Fest, the all-weekend celebration that in past years has drawn thousands of visitors to the area. But Barbara Fitzharris, with the Fleet Week Association, said it's been a while since it's had a chance to be successful."It started out in 2017, and then, after COVID, it kind of went away," she said. "And now we're trying to revive it again."Last year was dampened by the federal government shutdown, so hopes were high as they presented an expanded program along the waterfront, centered at the SkyStar Ferris wheel."We have an activation at Pier 27 which has a lot of the military displays, so that's going o