Navigating the City for Blue Angels Practice, Flight Demonstration, and Ceremony
Annapolis, MD – The City of Annapolis welcomes the family and friends of the United States Naval Academy’s (USNA) Class of 2026 Midshipmen for Commissioning Week activities, May 17 to 22, 2026. The graduation and commissioning ceremony for the Class of 2026 will take place on Friday, May 22 at 10 a.m. at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Rowe Boulevard in Annapolis. For a full listing of events and activities during Commissioning Week, visit https://www.usna.edu/CommissioningWeek.
In the days before the graduation and commissioning ceremony, City residents and visitors should expect heavy traffic, temporary road and bridge closures, parking limitations, maritime traffic restrictions, and increased security downtown.
INCREASED SECURITY: At this time, the USNA policy for base access is limited to escorted access ONLY. Details available on the USNA website: (https://www.usna.edu/Visit/BaseAccess.php).
Blue Angels Rehearsal and Demonstration
The Navy Blue Angels flight rehearsal will take place at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, May 19. The Blue Angels Flight Demonstration will take place at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20.
TEMPORARY ROAD AND BRIDGE CLOSURES: On Tuesday, May 19, the Route 450 (Naval Academy) bridge will be closed between 10:45 a.m. and approximately 3:45 p.m. for the Blue Angels rehearsal. The bridge will close again on Wednesday, May 20 at approximately 1:45 p.m. until approximately 4 p.m. for the Blue Angels flight demonstration.
HEAVY TRAFFIC: Make a plan to accommodate the increase in cars and pedestrian traffic as much as possible. Allow yourself plenty of extra time, and please be courteous to out-of-town drivers who are unfamiliar with City streets. On Friday, May 22, security around Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Rowe Blvd. could make traffic slower than usual until approximately 3 p.m. Download the “Prepare Me Annapolis” mobile app (Apple/Android) to receive local traffic alerts. For emergency alerts and event information, text NAVY to 38276 to receive event-specific texts from the Annapolis Office of Emergency Management (OEM).
PARKING: Throughout Commissioning Week, parking is available at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, with a free shuttle into downtown. For those coming downtown for Blue Angels rehearsal and/or flight demonstration, City garages are the best option and include Mills Hillman (150 Gorman Street), Gott’s (25 Calvert Street), Knighton (1A Colonial Ave.), and Park Place (One Park Place).
- Expect parking to be limited in downtown throughout the week. Visit www.AnnapolisParking.com to reserve garage parking at Park Place, Gott’s, and Knighton garages. Please note that there will be strict enforcement of metered parking, two-hour limited spaces, Residential Permit Zones, and red curbs. Visitors are strongly encouraged to park at Knighton (Corner of Colonial Avenue and West Street) and Park Place (Just off of West Street and Spa Road) garages and take the free downtown “Magenta” shuttle. The shuttle can be tracked using the transloc app or on the web: https://accessannapolis.transloc.com/routes.
- On Friday, May 22, 2026, the parking lot at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium will be reserved for graduation attendees only. There will be no state employee parking at the stadium on Friday. City and state employees who normally park at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium should relocate to the Calvert Street Garage.
MARITIME TRAFFIC: Boaters must pay close attention to markers that delineate exclusionary zones and temporary channels (marked by red and green buoys) on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Please look for public safety boats and follow instructions promptly. The Annapolis Harbormaster operates on VHF 17. The area of Spa Creek and the Severn River will be patrolled by the U.S. Coast Guard, Department of Natural Resources Police, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, Annapolis Harbormaster, Annapolis Police and Annapolis Fire Rescue boats. For complete information on maritime traffic rules and procedures, visit: the Annapolis Harbormaster’s web page on maritime rules for Blue Angels.
All residents and visitors should remain aware of their surroundings. Please identify suspicious personnel, packages, or behavior to local authorities. If you see something, say something. Dial 9-1-1 for emergency response. For non-emergency inquiries or questions, contact the Annapolis Call Center at 410-260-2211.
