Fleet Week San Diego

What Fleet Week San Diego does

Fleet Week San Diego is a non-profit civic organization founded in 2001 that produces an annual military celebration event in San Diego, California. The event series, free to the public, spans approximately ten days and takes place across multiple citywide venues including Broadway Pier, Liberty Station, Chula Vista, 32nd Street Naval Base, and the USS Midway Museum. Programming encompasses ship tours, athletic events (5K races, golf tournament, football classic), live entertainment (concerts, boat parade, fireworks displays), military appreciation activities (enlisted recognition luncheon, community breakfast), and educational programs (Student STEM Days, Innovation Zone, Meet the Fleet). The organization serves active-duty military personnel, veterans, military families, and the general San Diego public, with a stated mission of honoring service members and strengthening community-military bonds.

The event is organized into multiple interconnected components rather than a technology platform. The 2026 edition is scheduled for November 6-15, with additional summer programming including the Fleet Week 5K Fun Run (July 3), Port of San Diego Big Bay Boom fireworks (July 4), and All Active Duty Golf Tournament (September 18). The organization aligns its 2026 programming with the America 250 commemoration marking the United States' semicentennial.

The business model is sponsorship-driven. Fleet Week San Diego maintains a tiered sponsor structure including presenting sponsors (Liberty Station, Alaska Airlines, Port of San Diego, Tri West, Sycuan, San Diego Zoo, US Bank, Cubic, IBEW 569), supporting sponsors (Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, General Dynamics NASSCO, Austal USA, USAA, AARP, and others), and community partners (USS Midway Museum, Navy SEAL Foundation, Chula Vista Chamber of Commerce, Flagship Cruises & Events, America 250). The organization operates with a lean team of 1-10 employees under CEO and President Larry Blumberg, distributing its offering through direct public attendance at no cost to attendees and amplifying reach through sponsor marketing channels and email newsletters.

Name

Fleet Week San Diego

Legal name

Fleet Week San Diego

Website

https://fleetweeksandiego.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fleet Week San Diego is a non-profit organization founded in 2001 that produces a free, annual citywide military celebration event in San Diego, California. The multi-venue event serves active-duty personnel, veterans, military families, and the general public through ship tours, concerts, athletic events, and STEM education programming, funded by corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Sponsorship Revenue: The event is funded through corporate sponsorships organized into tiers: Presenting Sponsors (Liberty Station, Alaska Airlines, Port of San Diego, Tri West, Sycuan, San Diego Zoo, US Bank, and others), Supporting Sponsors (AARP, BAE Systems, Austal USA, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, USAA, and others), and Community Partners. These sponsors provide financial and in-kind support to make the event possible.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Fleet Week San Diego produces a free-to-the-public annual military celebration event series held across multiple San Diego venues. The core offering bundles Navy ship tours, athletic events (5K runs, golf tournaments, football classic), live entertainment (concerts, boat parade, Big Bay Boom fireworks), military recognition events (Enlisted Recognition Luncheon, Military & Veteran Appreciation Concert, Community Breakfast), and STEM education programs (Student STEM Days, Innovation Zone, Meet the Fleet).

Product overview

Fleet Week San Diego is a single, unified annual event series rather than a software platform or product suite. The offering consists of a collection of themed events spanning multiple categories: athletic events (5K runs, golf tournaments, football classic), entertainment (concerts, fireworks displays, boat parades), military appreciation activities (recognition luncheons, community breakfasts), and educational programs (Student STEM Days, Meet the Fleet ship tours). These events collectively celebrate military service and strengthen community-military bonds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fleet Week San Diego Annual Event Series A free-to-the-public annual military appreciation event series held across multiple San Diego venues (Broadway Pier, Liberty Station, Chula Vista, USS Midway Museum, 32nd Street Naval Base), bundling public Navy ship tours, athletic events (5K runs, golf tournament, football classic), live entertainment (concerts, boat parade, Big Bay Boom fireworks), military recognition events (Enlisted Recognition Luncheon, Military & Veteran Appreciation Concert, Community Breakfast), and STEM education programs (Student STEM Days, Innovation Zone, Meet the Fleet) for active duty military, veterans, military families, and the general public.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free public access to all events and ship tours

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Liberty StationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting Sponsor of Fleet Week San Diego. Liberty Station is a key venue location for multiple events including the Fleet Week 5K Fun Run and Anchored in Freedom event. Liberty Station is also featured as a Community Partner in the America 250 commemoration.
• Alaska AirlinescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting Sponsor of Fleet Week San Diego, providing financial and promotional support for the event.
• Port of San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresenting Sponsor and host of the Port of San Diego Big Bay Boom, San Diego's largest Independence Day fireworks display. The Port of San Diego is a key government partner supporting maritime events.
• USS Midway MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Partner hosting the Fleet Week Community Breakfast aboard the historic USS Midway Museum, a premier San Diego attraction and museum.
• Navy SEAL FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Partner supporting Fleet Week San Diego. The Navy SEAL Foundation provides support to Navy SEALs and their families.
• Chula Vista Chamber of CommercesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity Partner representing the Chula Vista business community and supporting Fleet Week activities including the Navy Band Concert in Chula Vista.
• Flagship Cruises & EventssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity Partner providing cruise and event services in San Diego Bay, supporting maritime aspects of Fleet Week.
• America 250coreGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity Partner connected to the America 250 commemoration celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States. Featured in Fleet Week San Diego 2026 programming.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• USS Midway Museum: San Diego-based naval museum and a Fleet Week San Diego community partner. Comparable in mission (military appreciation, public education, naval heritage) and San Diego geography, but operates as a year-round museum rather than an annual event series.
• Miramar Air Show: San Diego-based military community event hosted at MCAS Miramar featuring aerial demonstrations and military appreciation. Comparable in geography (San Diego), mission (military appreciation), and free public access model, but centered on aviation rather than naval activities.
• Big Bay Boom (Port of San Diego): San Diego's largest Independence Day fireworks display hosted by the Port of San Diego. Already a co-presented event within the Fleet Week San Diego ecosystem; comparable as a free public spectacle with defense-sector affinity in the San Diego market.

Direct peers

• Seattle Fleet Week: Puget Sound-based Fleet Week event featuring ship tours, military appreciation events, and community programming. Most directly comparable to Fleet Week San Diego in scale, West Coast military community, and operational structure.
• Fleet Week Boston: Fleet Week / Harborfest event in Boston featuring public ship tours, military appreciation, and community events. Operates on the same sponsorship-funded, free public event model in another major U.S. naval port city.
• Fleet Week New York: The flagship U.S. Fleet Week event, held annually in New York City since 1984. Directly comparable in mission (military appreciation, ship tours, public events, community engagement) and operating model (free public access, sponsorship-funded, single annual event cycle in a major naval port city).
• Fleet Week San Francisco: Annual Fleet Week event in San Francisco featuring ship tours, a parade of ships, and military appreciation events. Same operational model as Fleet Week San Diego: free public access, sponsorship-driven, military community engagement in a major West Coast port.

Broad incumbents

• Navy League of the United States: National nonprofit organization supporting sea services, hosting multiple local councils that promote naval awareness and maritime appreciation events. Comparable in mission (military/naval community engagement, education) and nonprofit sponsorship-driven model, but operating as a national umbrella rather than a single regional event.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/fleetweeksd
• Facebookfacebook.com/fleetweeksd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-diego-fleet-week-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fleet Week San Diego