The Navy said Monday it has cancelled plans to allow the public to visit Naval Base San Diego on Nov. 1 to tour warships due to the continuing shutdown of the federal government.
The “Meet the Fleet at 32nd Street” event, which drew 10,000 visitors last year, is part of the larger Fleet Week San Diego celebration that is scheduled to be held from Oct. 30 to Nov. 9.
This year’s activities were expected to draw huge crowds because the nation is celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Navy and the Marines. The status of Fleet Week itself was not clear on Monday night.
“This year’s Meet the Fleet at 32nd Street will be canceled in accordance with Department of the Navy and Department of War guidance on non-essential activities during the funding lapse,” Capt. Brian Bungay, commanding officer of Naval Base San Diego, said in a statement.
“Meet the Fleet at 32nd Street remains one of our favorite ways to connect the Navy with our incredible community, and we look forward to hosting it again in the future. We appreciate the community’s continued support and understanding.”
The Navy had yet to release the names of the warships that were to be open to the public this year. But base officials had earlier said it hoped to give the public access to the USS America, an 844-foot amphibious assault ship that relocate to San Diego in September.