September 18 | 12-2pm | In-Person | Pier 16 | Free
Join the South Street Seaport Museum for a fonda in honor of Chilean Independence Day aboard tall ship Wavertree. In partnership with the Consul General of Chile in New York, this Fiestas Patrias celebration will include flag raising and traditional Chilean food, dance, and music.
No registration needed. Enjoy the full event starting at noon, or stop in any time between 12pm and 2pm.
Visiting Wavertree includes climbing up a few stairs, up a gangway, and then down a few stairs onto the deck. Masks are optional for this event.
About Chile and the South Street Seaport Historic District
Wavertree spent over 25 years in Punta Arenas, Chile after she was caught in a Cape Horn storm that tore down her masts and ended her career as a cargo ship in 1910. It is likely that the Wavertree has not flown the Chilean flag for several decades until our upcoming celebration.
The ties between the South Street Seaport Historic District and Chile run across history, particularly in the shipping and printing industries. La Voz de América newspaper was founded here in 1865. Chilean freight and warships were built here, such as the light cruiser “O’Higgins,” and steamships of the Grace Line linked New York with several ports of the Pacific in Latin America, crossing the Panama Canal.
Today, more than 85% of Chile’s trade with the world is done by maritime means, and Chile is the holder of the most Free Trade Agreements in the world, bolstered by its maritime shipping routes. It is the world’s fourth most important user of the Panama Canal, after China, the United States and Japan.
Tall Ship Wavertree
Wavertree, built in 1885 was operated for many years as a cargo ship sailing around the world.