AN ANNUAL event celebrating Barrow’s historic naval industry is taking place this weekend.

Iconic vessels will be on display at The Quayside next to Morrisons on Saturday and Sunday as families and art and maritime enthusiasts gather to enjoy this year’s edition of The Barrow Tall Ships Festival.

The free event will give attendees the opportunity to climb aboard and explore the Pelican of London, as well as learning about other tall ships such as La Malounie and The Spirit of Falmouth.

Other vessels and boats including Hearts of Oak, Bay Towage & Salvage and The Piel Ferry will also be on show along the Town Quay between 11am – 5:30pm.

Event organisers Something Leisure Community have also put on hot food, face painting, dock tours, sail training and a boat regatta for attendees to enjoy.

Last year, nearly 20,000 people attended the event also known as the ‘Festival of the Seas’ where they were treated to an immersive experience with an extensive display of school and community art paintings.

The event also showcased sea creature statues made from recycled plastics and fabric materials.

Adrian Ragbourne, Seas Your Future CEO, said: “We continue to look forward to annual visits to Cumbria in the future offering youth development programmes through sail training to youngsters from the area."

READ MORE: 20,000 people descend on Barrow Tall Ships 23 event

In July, Barrow Town Council funded a sailing adventure for 12 members of the armed forces to arrive at the quayside on time for Saturday’s event.

Veterans are currently travelling on The Spirit of Falmouth from Fort William to Barrow via the Commando Memorial.

READ MORE: Council funds sailing adventure as a thank you to members of the Armed Forces

Niyall Phillips, who is a councillor for Hawcoat Ward, said: “This trip is a little way of saying 'thank you' from Barrow to those serving and ex-service personnel, recognising their contribution to keeping us safe and to our community.

“Those attending will be a mixture of ages, and the takeaways from the voyage will all be different - but the bond which veterans have already through their service will help them come together as a team and sail the Spirit of Falmouth back to Barrow.”