With the Blue Angels grounded and the actual fleet temporarily mothballed due to government sequestration, this year's annual demonstration of American naval power will be replaced by a much tamer celebration of the Bay Area's other fleet: the local fisherman and crabbers who fill our city's sourdough bread bowls with chowder.

Designed as a tamer replacement for a week of hair-raising office flybys, Wharf Fest will celebrate 35 years of tourism at Pier 39. The actual event takes place at the end of the month on October 26th and 27th. Instead of the air shows that normally draw an estimated one million spectators to the waterfront, Wharf Fest will feature live music, chowder and microbrew tastings and other things that one could presumably find at Fisherman's Wharf pretty much any day of the year.

There will still be some aerial pyrotechnics, however: every Saturday in October will feature a fireworks show over the water starting at 8:30 p.m.

Aside from the Wharf festivities, Fleet Week is technically still happening, but as the Chronicle's Matier and Ross point out it's basically just an art show for veterans, a canine exhibition (who knew there were dogs in Fleet Week?) and a couple of disaster relief drills put on by the Marines and the Coast Guard. On the bright side, the last disaster relief drill saw a badass hovercraft doing donuts on Ocean Beach:

Previously: All Fleet Week coverage on SFist
[Wharf Fest]
[Chron]