Here are a few quick tips to help you navigate Blue Water Fest

Rain or shine, Boat Week festivities associated with this weekend’s 100th Port Huron-to-Mackinac Island Sailboat Race are kicking off.

Luckily, according to the National Weather Service, conditions will be mostly clear and sunny.

But for the thousands of visitors to downtown Port Huron, hoping to have fun or glimpse at more than 300 boats set to set sail Saturday, there may be a few key questions.

Here are your last-minute quick hits for Boat Week enthusiasts on the go.

What streets are closed around Blue Water Fest?

Most of Main Street was to be closed at 3 p.m. Wednesday from Glenwood Avenue to Court Street for the southbound Rotary International Day Parade at 6:30 p.m. before road closures shrink in size for the remainder of the week.

“On Thursday, first thing in the morning — and I mean early, like 4 a.m. — the streets department will be coming by, and they will shrink the footprint for the festival,” said Natacha Hayden, director of Port Huron’s Downtown Development Authority.

The footprint for Blue Water Fest, which kicks off at 4 p.m. Thursday, will close Huron Avenue from Andrew Murphy to the Military Street Bridge, as well as Quay Street in both directions.

The closure will remain in place into the weekend, including after boats take off, as festival activities continue into Saturday.

For more information on Blue Water Fest activities, visit https://thebluewaterfest.com .

There is plenty of parking around and in downtown

Hayden encouraged visitors to look at the Blue Water Fest map online ahead of arriving downtown to ensure they know where to park.

Though plenty of public parking will be available south of the Black River downtown, there are also several lots closer to the festival footprint.

Port Huron City Manager James Freed said that included the lots around McMorran Place, as well as the East Quay Street lot, St. Clair County’s overflow lot, and the farmers market lot also off Quay.

When asked how to reach those areas, Freed said, “Just avoid the main drag. They can take Michigan and Superior and Stone Street to get in.”

Additionally, Hayden emphasized the city’s partnership with Blue Water Area Transit, which will be offering free shuttles after 4 p.m. and midnight on Thursday and Friday, respectively, for those who park at Vantage Point or Desmond Landing on the southern half of downtown. That’s during Family Night and Boat Night, respectively.

Security: No outside alcohol, bikes, or pets inside festival footprint

Freed said the Municipal Office Center was closing early Wednesday and Friday in part to make room in their lot for central command officials from multiple jurisdictions helping to keep Boat Week safe.

When asked, he cited the many more who typically come to Boat Night than earlier in the week.

Port Huron Police Lt. Nick Godwin said no bikes, nor pets or animals other than service animals are allowed in the Blue Water Fest footprint.

“Obviously, alcohol needs to be purchased in the event and the social district cups to be walking around. If you’re on a boat, you do your own thing. The alcohol just needs to stay on the boat,” he said.

“Our main goal is to make sure that everybody has a fun and safe night, and we’re taking a lot of steps and (have been) planning for a long time,” Godwin added. “Our entire department’s mobilized. We’ll be working. We put requests out to our other state, local and federal partners for assistance.

“So, you’ll see different uniforms working with us. There will be some different overt security law enforcement personnel, and then, there will be some that you won’t see out there just to have different layers of security to help keep the event safe. We’re using technology. You’ll see a lot of trailers downtown with cameras, and we have people assigned to just be monitoring the cameras and calling out anything suspicious. But you can’t beat 10 (thousand), 15,000 people’s eyes out there. So, yes, if you do see something, ‘see something, say something’ is 100% still in play.”

You don't have to be at Vantage Point to see Thursday's drone show

With a drone show taking the place of the traditional Family Night fireworks at 10 p.m. Thursday, Hadyen advised visitors didn’t necessarily have to be at Vantage Point to see them.

The drone show should be visible from anywhere not blocked by a building north of the Black River off East Quay Street, she said.

The stages along Quay, Hayden added, were also slated to play synchronized music for the show.

Contact reporter Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Here are a few quick tips to help you navigate Blue Water Fest