The Tall Ships Festival Begins Today at Fairport Harbor Instead of Cleveland

The Tall Ships Challenge begins on Thursday and lasts though Sunday this week at Fairport Harbor.

The event which has always been in Cleveland and brought an estimated 100,000 people to downtown Cleveland in 2013 needed to be moved to Fairport Harbor this year due to a conflict with this summer's Republican National Convention, reports Cleveland.com.

The Republican National Convention is scheduled to begin on July 18th and last for four days and the Tall Ships Challenge runs Thursday, July 7, through Sunday, July 10. Daniel Ball, a spokesman for Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson told Cleveland.com that hosting the the two events so close together would create a security challenge.

Erin Short, manager of the Tall Ships Challenge, told Cleveland.com, "We do have a long history in Cleveland, It's a real bummer."

However, Cleveland's loss is Fairport Harbor's gain, the city could host around six ships and it is expected that 70,000 to 100,000 visitors will attend the event. The festival will take place on downtown Water Street and ships will be docked along the Grand River. Fairport Harbor is no stranger to hosting large events, their annual July Mardi Gras party brings as many as 50,000 visitors to the city.

Ticket information can be found at: tallshipsfairportharbor.com