OSWEGO, NY – On Saturday, June 6, 2026, the H. Lee White Maritime Museum and New York Sea Grant will host the Lake Ontario Waterfront Festival. The event will take place from Noon to 4 p.m. in the Historic
U.S. Army tug LT-5. The vessel participated in the D-Day landing on June 6, 1944.
Maritime District of Oswego, NY. The festival will feature a variety of family-friendly activities related to local maritime history and recreation, the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary, environmental protection and research, seafaring singing and dancing, and local tourism.
In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, there will be a special children’s educational activity focused on the Maritime Museum’s World War II tug, the LT-5.
Fred Legawiec built his first ham radio and passed the Novice Class ham operator’s license test at age 8. Ever since that day, and now as an extra class operator, Legowiec has been talking to locations across the U.S. and around the world, including to operators aboard historic battleships, aircraft carriers, and submarines.
As part of the festival, Legawiec will be talking to historic ships from aboard Derrick Boat No. 8 alongside the National Historic Landmark LT-5 tugboat used in the 1944 D-Day landing of Allied forces at Normandy during World War II. Legawiec’s station during the festival will have information on the storied career of the LT-5.
The June 6 festival date coincides with the Museum Ship Weekend Event organized by the Battleship New Jersey Amateur Radio Station. The event places amateur ham radio operators aboard museum ships worldwide with a special call sign to speak to one another. “Hams” interested to participate at Oswego are welcome to set up along the 1 West First Street Pier to operate from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For more details, contact Legawiec at W2LGA@yahoo.com.
More than eighty museum ships from around the world have already registered for the 2026 weekend include historic U.S. naval and seagoing ships, including the U.S.S. The Sullivans in Buffalo, New York; submarines; lightships; icebreakers; a fishing schooner; the RMS Queen Mary oceanliner; and other vessels notable in American and international history. The participant list is updated regularly at nj2bb.org/museum/index.html.
One of Legawiec’s favorite memories is connecting a U.S. Navy veteran with “his ship,” the U.S.S. Wisconsin Iowa class battleship, on the 75th anniversary of D-Day in Oswego. Legawiec also provides radio support to many area events, including the Syracuse St. Patrick’s Day parade, and during weather and civil emergencies.
The family-friendly Lake Ontario Waterfront Festival in 2026 will highlight New York’s maritime history; the Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary; water recreation opportunities and safe boating practices for people and pets; New York Sea Grant research, education, and extension programs; aquatic science; and water conservation. The festival hours are 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission to the festival in Oswego’s Historic Maritime District is free.
