As the 35th Annual Fleet Week kicked off in NYC, thousands of servicemen and women from the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard flooded Manhattan’s Times Square.
Sailors and Marines gathered in formation on the famed Red Stairs on Wednesday, before taking to Broadway and posing for photos with the area’s infamous desnudas and other eccentric characters.
The desnudas, or painted ladies, have been gathering around Times Square for a decade and painting their naked bodies in American colors to pose for photos with tourists and visitors – in exchange for tips.
But the sailors, dressed from head to toe in old-fashioned attire, not only took pictures with the ladies, they were also seen posing with members of the public who had come out to see them.
Times Square is one of several places in the city hosting Fleet Week events through May 30.
Sailors pose with Times Square desnudas as the 35th Annual Fleet Week kicked off Wednesday in New York City
A desnuda crosses paths with a merry U.S. Navy sailor on Wednesday during Fleet Week celebrations
A child poses with US military personnel who have gathered for a group photo in Times Square on Wednesday. Fleet Week is a week-long celebration of naval service and allows the public to meet sailors, marines and coast guard personnel
Michaela White, a Public Affairs Officer for a US Navy Submarine group, takes a photo in the heart of Times Square on the first day of New York’s annual Fleet Week
Marines on the right and sailors on the left gather on Times Square’s Red Steps for a photo commemorating the occasion
Members of the US Navy and Marines gather for a combined group photo in Times Square, during their visit for Fleet Week
Navy Sailors and members of the public interact on the first day of New York City’s annual Fleet Week
Sailors snap photos of Times Square’s bright billboards as they flood the area during the annual Fleet Week celebration
A military diver was seen through the transparent wall of a tank in Times Square on Thursday
Divers have been seen in a dive tank placed in Times Square on Thursday
On Thursdays and Fridays, visitors to Times Square can see naval equipment and other materials during the day
Since arriving in Times Square in the summer of 2013, the desnudas have angered more modest members of the Times Square Alliance, a nonprofit in the area, as well as bystanders who say they don’t like having them around. to have.
But they have refused to be curbed and continue to parade through the streets alongside the more famous Naked Cowboy, who is also scantily clad and sports red, white and blue, strumming a guitar wearing a cowboy hat and boots.
While some military personnel gathered in the heart of Midtown Manhattan, others gathered between the various ports on the western flank of the island.
Nine ships, including one each from Italy, the United Kingdom and Canada, paraded into New York Harbor for the start of the week-long event.
Included on the program are public ship tours, ceremonies, and naval and military educational events.
The celebration has been held in New York City almost every year since 1984. It was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID pandemic and after returning in 2022 it will be back in full force in 2023.
A number of events in Times Square this week will give the public an insight into the day-to-day activities of sailors, marines and coastguards.
An aerial view of Marines and sailors gathered on Times Square’s Red Steps during their visit to the city for Fleet Week
A group of sailors sit in the sun on Thursday enjoying beer at an outdoor dining and drinking area in Times Square
Marine artillery sergeant Shakima Deprince, right, of Brooklyn, NY, hosts members of the US Navy and Marines and Coast Guard for a combined group photo in Times Square on Wednesday
Soldiers and men gather in Times Square for a group photo as the 35th annual Fleet Week kicks off on May 24
A sailor with a matching anchor tattoo on the elbow stands next to colleagues for Time Square’s glowing ads on Wednesday
Anthony McGowan, a member of the Royal Canadian Navy, wears sunglasses while visiting Times Square for Fleet Week
Members of Canada’s Royal Navy also appeared in Times Square on Wednesday
A sailor takes a photo from a flagpole in Times Square during the start of the 35th annual Fleet Week on May 24
On Thursdays and Fridays between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., Navy divers dive into the Navy Dive Tank set up for the event. Visitors can see their equipment and take pictures. On Friday at 7:30 p.m., a navy band performs for two hours.
A host of other free events will take place throughout the week throughout the city, including general public tours, aviation demonstrations, military band performances, and interactive displays throughout the tri-state area.
Tours will also be available between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. beginning Thursday at Piers 88 and 90 in Manhattan and Staten Island Homeport Pier. Visitors can also attend ship tours at Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, along Pier 86, which run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Twelve participating ships include the USS Wasp (LHD 1), an amphibious assault ship from Norfolk, Virginia; the USS Oak Hill (LSD 51), a dock landing ship from Norfolk, Virginia; the HMS Scott (H131), an ocean research vessel from Plymouth, United Kingdom; the ITS Virginio Fasan (F 591), a frigate from La Spezia, Italy.
The HMCS Glace Bay (MM 701), a maritime coastal defense vessel from Nova Scotia, Canada, and the USCGC Warren Deyampert (WPC 1151), a fast response cutter from Boston, Massachusetts, will also be present.
Four Yard Patrol Vessels (YPs) from the US Naval Academy of Annapolis, Maryland; the USNS Newport (T-EPF 12), an expeditionary express transport from Norfolk, Virginia; the USS Cole (DDG 67), a guided-missile destroyer from Norfolk, Virginia; and the DCV Gelberman, a US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) drift recovery ship from New York.
In addition, a Fireboat 343, a New York City Fire Department Ranger 4200 class fireboat from New York, and a Tall Ship Clipper City, a gaff-rigged schooner operated by Manhattan By Sail of New York.