Posted on March 20, 2026
Fleet Week will take place from April 15-22, bringing U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard ships to the Port of Houston.
he U.S. Navy and city of Houston have revealed which ships will be participating in next month’s Fleet Week. It will be the first time the city is hosting the roving event, which honors the Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard.
Houston’s Fleet Week will take place from April 15-22, bringing Navy and Coast Guard ships to the Port of Houston. The public will have the opportunity to tour several of the ships participating in the event, when more than 1,000 sailors, Marines and Coast Guard members are expected to visit Houston. Educational and community outreach events will also take place throughout the week.
Fleet Week was originally scheduled for Nov. 5-12 of last year, but was postponed in October because of a prolonged shutdown of the federal government.
The event as initially scheduled would have coincided with the 250th birthdays of both the Navy and the Marine Corps. It will now coincide with the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding.
In a statement announcing several of the ships bound for Houston, Mayor John Whitmire said the Fleet Week will give residents an opportunity to show their appreciation for those who serve in the U.S. military.
“We’re excited to welcome Fleet Week to our city in just a few weeks,” Whitmire said. “I encourage everyone to tour the ships and enjoy the activities connected to Fleet Week Houston, as we welcome members of the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.”
Further information about Fleet Week Houston can be found on the event’s website.
Here are details about four of the ships that will be included in next month’s fleet week:
USS Kearsarge (LHD-3)
- The USS Kearsarge (pictured above) is a Wasp-class amphibious assault ship designed for multi-purpose operations, according to the U.S. Navy. This class of ship is often used for troop transport and aircraft support. The USS Kearsarge was launched on March 26, 1992. It has previously participated in several New York Fleet Weeks. The ship’s home port is in Norfolk, Virginia.
USS Minneapolis-St. Paul (LCS-21)
- The USS Minneapolis-St. Paul is a Freedom-class littoral combat ship optimized for “operations in near-shore environments with high speed and agility,” according to the U.S. Navy. The USS Minneapolis-St. Paul was launched on June 15, 2019, and was commissioned in May 2022. According to the Stars and Stripes, an independent news outlet that covers the military, the ship was deployed to Panama in September 2025 as part of President Donald Trump’s campaign against drug cartels in the Caribbean.
USS Cooperstown (LCS-23)
- The USS Cooperstown is also a Freedom-class littoral combat ship, according to the U.S. Navy. The ship was launched in January 2020 and commissioned in May 2023. Its home port is in Jacksonville, Florida.
USCGU Edgar Culbertson (WPC-1137)
- The USCGC Edgar Culbertson is a Sentinel-class fast response cutter equipped for a range of missions, including search and rescue, law enforcement and port security, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The ship is named after Coast Guard Boatswain’s Mate First Class Edgar A. Culbertson, who died on April 30, 1967, while attempting to rescue three teenage brothers during a storm in Duluth, Minnesota. Its home port is in Galveston, south of Houston.
