in the navy

What to know about Fleet Week as it sails into Houston for the first time

The USS Kearsarge (LHD-3), a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, will be in Houston this week.

Courtesy of Fleet Week Houston

For the first time ever, Fleet Week is sailing into Houston. Held Wednesday, April 15 through Wednesday, April 22, the weeklong event will bring four military vessels and more than 1,000 active-duty servicemembers to Houston.

One highlight will be the opportunity for Houstonians to tour four ships — USS Kearsarge (LHD-3), USS Minneapolis-St. Paul (LCS-21), USS St. Louis (LCS-19), and USCGC Edgar Culbertson (WPC-1137) — all of which will be docked at the Houston Ship Channel. In addition, dozens of other events will take place at schools, museums, parks, and more.

While the week includes dozens of events and celebrations, these seven are a good start for Houstonians who wish to participate in the festivities.

Wednesday, April 15

Parade of Ships at Seawolf Park, Galveston

Watch the parade of ships into the Houston Ship Channel to kick-off the inaugural Fleet Week Houston, and welcome the more than 1,000 Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen who will be participating in the week-long festivities. 7 am.

Thursday, April 16

Fleet Week on the Plaza at The Plaza at Avenida Houston
The free concert will feature performances by Houston’s beloved The Suffers, Navy Band Southeast, and special guests. In addition to the performances, attendees will find food trucks, games, photo ops, and more. 6 pm.

Saturday, April 18

Fleet Week Houston Aviation Exhibit at the Lone Star Flight Museum
Ellington Airport and the Lone Star Flight Museum will offer visitors an up-close look at a variety of Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard aircraft. It includes both modern and historic planes. 9 am (9 am Sunday).

Fleet Week Expo at Post Houston
This event allows civilians to experience the visiting sea services through entertainment, talks, and demonstrations. It is also the beginning point for the buses taking people to ship tours. Performances on Saturday include a Marine Corp brass quintet (10 am), Chris Castaneda (12 pm), Julia Byers (2 pm), and Vetted (4 pm). On Sunday, the performers include David de la Garza (10 am), Sara Van Buskirk (12 pm), Navy Band Southeast – Jazz Combo (2 pm), and Vetted (4 pm). 10 am (10 am Sunday).

East End Block Party
Held at the Navigation Esplanade, the event includes live music, Luche Libre wrestling, and barbecue. 3 pm.

Sunday, April 19

Exhibition at Sylvan Beach Park (La Porte)
Designed for military buffs and anyone looking for adventure, this event showcases some of the military’s elite capabilities. Events and demonstrations include a hovercraft landing, Coast Guard Search and Rescue operations, Navy band performances, dog demonstrations, and hands-on displays with military equipment and technology. 10 am.

Monday, April 20

Fleet Week Street Festival and Drone Show at Main Street (Seabrook)
Market and food vendors, including artists, merchants, and veteran-owned businesses, will sell products. Then, a patriotic-themed drone show celebrating the 250th birthday of both the Navy and Marine Corps will light up the sky. 11 am.

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Group tours of the visiting vessels for companies, youth groups, civic organizations, and others are still available. Contact Jay Cope at 504-957-6305 or jay.a.cope.civ@us.navy.mil for more details.

The Hot List

Houston shines among best summer vacation destinations for 2026

Photo by © Debora Smail Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau

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Nearly three quarters of Americans are planning on going on vacation this summer, and Houston is climbing up the national hot list of the best summer destinations of 2026.

The Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land metro ranked as the No. 20 best summer travel destination in WalletHub's annual study, which compared 100 of the largest U.S. metro areas across 41 metrics based on travel costs and hassles, local costs, attractions, weather, and activities and safety.

The U.S. metros that scored the top three spots are Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, Georgia (No. 1); Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida (No. 2); and Texas neighbor Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos (No. 3).

Houston's 2026 ranking is up 15 spots from last year's report when the city was the 35th best summer travel destination.

Here's how H-Town stacked up in the six main categories:

No. 7 – Attractions
No. 13 – Local costs
No. 24 – Activities
No. 50 – Weather
No. 84 – Travel costs and hassles
No. 90 – Safety

Summer activities may draw in more tourists, but that shouldn't stop Houstonians from exploring their own city. From Fourth of July celebrations, to a one-night only hip-hop show , there are plenty of things to do to keep occupied and beat the summer heat in the city. And a trip to the Johnson Space Center, Houston Museum of Natural Science, or the Houston Zoo are always options for locals that want to pretend to be tourists for the day.

Other top Texas summer travel destinations
The Austin metro ranked as the third-best summer travel destination in the U.S., and it's the most conveniently located neighbor from Houston that's less than three hours away.

The study found air travel to Austin — though not entirely cheap — has plenty of short nonstop flights from other major cities, making it an easily reachable destination compared to most other U.S. cities. Austin's reputation as foodie city and its outdoor recreational activities also bring in a lot of summer tourism.

"One reason why Austin is a great destination is that it’s really easy to find affordable restaurants that are rated at least 4.5 stars out of 5 on Yelp," the report's author wrote. "Austin offers a mix of culture and outdoor fun, boasting a high number of attractions including the Bullock Texas State History Museum as well as shopping centers, music venues, food festivals and hiking trails."

The suburbs also attract tourists looking for fun things to do that aren't just in central or downtown Austin, like checking out new restaurants in Round Rock and Georgetown.

Visitors taking an extended trip to Texas can also visit San Antonio-New Braunfels and Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, which also ranked among the top 25 and landed in the No. 11 and No. 21 spots, respectively.

The top 10 best summer travel destinations in 2026 are:

No. 1 – Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Alpharetta, Georgia
No. 2 – Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, Florida
No. 3 – Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown, Texas
No. 4 – Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-Virginia-Maryland-West Virginia
No. 5 – Urban Honolulu, Hawaii
No. 6 – Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida
No. 7 – Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Delaware-Maryland
No. 8 – Salt Lake City, Utah
No. 9 – Cincinnati, Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana
No. 10 – Richmond, Virginia

wallethub reports summer vacation travel