Naval Base Launches Seabee Days

Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme will welcome the public today to its Seabee Days festival.

Each year the base welcomes visitors who take part in the festival’s attractions, which include live music and carnival rides.

For many, there is no attraction more popular than the ship tours, said base spokeswoman Teri Reid.

A limited number of tours will be offered for a look at an amphibious transport dock ship and an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, she said.

Free tour tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis today and Sunday at 9 a.m. at an information booth on the grounds. Everyone 16 and older must provide a valid photo ID.

“The ship tour tickets go pretty fast every year,” Reid said.

Now in its 19th year, Seabee Days opens at 11 a.m. today with more than 700 Seabees joining in a full-dress military parade showcasing equipment and weapons.

In addition, base personnel will demonstrate their military support skills.

There will also be live music and entertainment, carnival rides, classic car and motorcycle shows and craft vendors. Sporting competitions include arm-wrestling, softball, skateboarding and boxing.

Visitors can enter the base at the Patterson Road or Victoria Avenue gates starting at 9 a.m. Admission is free. Events will be held until 5 p.m., with the carnival operating until 10 p.m.

More information is available at www.seabeedays.com or 982-6000.