by Bay City NewsThe familiar rush of fighter jets through San Francisco skies is returning this week for Fleet Week, which was canceled by federal budget issues last year.
Fleet Week's most famous component -- the Navy's Blue Angels acrobatic flight demonstration squadron -- was a casualty of federal sequestration cuts in April 2013.
The entire Fleet Week schedule of events last October was eventually canceled because of the government shutdown.
But this year, Fleet Week is back, with a full slate of events that kicked off Tuesday and culminates with the return of the Blue Angels demonstration this weekend.
The Blue Angels will arrive Thursday and hold a rehearsal Friday before the air show at 12:30 p.m. Saturday, organizers said. The Blue Angels perform at 3 p.m. They will hold a second air show Sunday afternoon at the same time before the week's events wrap up with a performance by the Northern California-based rock group Mustache Harbor.
The band is one of several that will be playing on and around Pier 39 throughout the weekend, with performances scheduled by the Marine Corps Band, the Air Force Rock Band, the Destroyers from the Navy Band Southwest, Diablo Road and DJ Scotty Fox.
The main festivities will kick off at 11 a.m. Friday, with the Parade of Ships passing under the Golden Gate Bridge and mooring in San Francisco Bay.
No other boats will be permitted to travel along the San Francisco waterfront from the Golden Gate Bridge to south of the Ferry Building during the parade, according to the Coast Guard.
Fleet Week began Tuesday with Bark in the Park, in which dogs trained in bomb detection, tracking and apprehending suspects showed off their unique skills.
A full schedule of events is available at www.fleetweek.us.