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Updated August 11, 2026: Poulsbo’s Summer Nights at the Bay finale is scheduled for this evening at Muriel Iverson Williams Waterfront Park. The concert is listed for 6–8 p.m., followed by a drone show around 9 p.m. Boaters should treat this as an after-dark trip, arrive with a moorage plan that does not depend on finding an open slip, and reassess the return trip using current conditions.
This is a dated update for a broader Poulsbo or Liberty Bay destination guide. It is not a route recommendation or a substitute for current charts, notices, forecasts, tide and current predictions, or instruction.
August 11 event schedule
The organizer listing names Kalimba – The Spirit of Earth, Wind and Fire as the August 11 performer. Music is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. at Muriel Iverson Williams Waterfront Park, 18809 Anderson Parkway in downtown Poulsbo.
The same listing says the drone show should begin around 9 p.m. and last 15 to 20 minutes. That wording leaves room for a timing change. Weather, visibility, airspace coordination, equipment, or other operating needs could also affect the show. Check the organizer page again before leaving and watch for announcements at the park.
Poulsbo Parks and Recreation is the listed organizer. Its published contact information is 360-779-9898 and parksrec@cityofpoulsbo.com.
Decide whether an evening boat trip fits your plan
The concert ends about an hour before the listed drone-show time. Sunset in Poulsbo is approximately 8:30 p.m. on August 11, so the show and departure period will be after sunset. Darkness changes how easily you can judge distance, identify unlighted objects, read shoreline features, and notice other small craft.
Before committing, answer these questions for your own boat and crew:
- Can the operator and crew handle the full return route after dark?
- Are the vessel’s required navigation lights working and visible?
- Are the chart, position information, communications equipment, and other navigation tools ready for night use?
- Does the latest forecast still fit the vessel, crew, and route?
- Have you reviewed predicted tides and any relevant current stations for the entire trip, not just the show period?
- Do you have a clear alternative if moorage is unavailable or someone no longer wants to make the return trip?
If any answer is uncertain, attending from shore or choosing an earlier return may be the more conservative plan. This checklist is only a starting point.
Do not count on an open guest slip
The Port of Poulsbo guest-moorage page lists reservation options by phone, email, an online request, or an in-person visit. It does not guarantee event-day availability. The Port specifically says it cannot guarantee availability after the moorage office closes.
Guest moorage and fuel-dock hours are listed as 8 a.m.–4 p.m. daily. The reservations number is 360-779-9905, extension 1, and the published reservations email is reservations@portofpoulsbo.com. Contacting the Port is the direct way to ask about current access and procedures, but an inquiry is not a confirmed slip.
Current Port rules say visiting vessels must register within 30 minutes of entering the marina. The Port also lists a three-knot or no-wake maximum within the marina and prohibits sailing in or out of it. “No wake” means operating slowly enough that your vessel does not produce a damaging wake.
The Port’s 2026 summer rates vary by dock, vessel or slip length, and beam. Beam is a boat’s width at its widest point. Because cost depends on those details, confirm the applicable charge directly with the Port rather than using a general estimate.
Do not assume anchoring next to the marina is a fallback. Port regulations prohibit vessel anchorage within the marina and within 250 feet outside the breakwater area or the outside limits of D, E, and F docks. Any separate anchoring decision requires current charts, rules, depth and bottom information, adequate swinging room, and suitable equipment. This update does not identify an anchoring location.
Publication-day weather and water check
Liberty Bay falls within the National Weather Service’s Puget Sound and Hood Canal marine forecast zone, PZZ135. At the latest available check, the National Weather Service marine forecast, issued at 1:25 p.m. PDT on August 10, called for southerly wind around 5 knots on Tuesday, turning northwest in the afternoon. Tuesday night was forecast to have north wind of 5 to 10 knots, easing to around 5 knots after midnight, with zone waves around two feet or less.
That broad zone forecast is not a guarantee of conditions in Liberty Bay or along your route. Wind direction, wake exposure, visibility, smoke, fog, traffic, and localized conditions can differ by place and time. Check for a newer forecast, warnings, observations, and radar immediately before departure. Recheck again before leaving Poulsbo.
NOAA maintains tide-prediction station 9445719 at Poulsbo. Review the August 11 and August 12 prediction table directly through NOAA Tides and Currents. Include the expected departure time because a delayed show or slow marina exit could push the return into a different part of the tidal cycle.
A tide prediction gives expected water level at a station. It does not by itself describe current speed and direction along every part of a route. Check applicable NOAA current predictions separately where available.
Plan for a slower departure after the show
Several boats may prepare to leave at about the same time. Avoid building a plan around an immediate, unobstructed marina exit. Give crews time to put on personal flotation devices (Amazon search, paid link), clear loose gear, turn on navigation equipment, test lights, and prepare lines before moving.
Once underway, maintain a proper lookout and operate at a speed appropriate for visibility, traffic, wake, and nearby hazards. Preserve night vision by reducing unnecessary bright light at the helm. Keep clear of the drone operation and follow any directions issued by event staff, marina personnel, law enforcement, or the Coast Guard.
Before departure, review the latest U.S. Coast Guard Local and Broadcast Notices to Mariners for Puget Sound. No event-specific navigation restriction was confirmed during the source review for this draft, but notices can be issued or updated after publication.
A practical go-or-no-go sequence
- Before leaving home: Confirm that the concert and drone show remain scheduled. Contact the marina if guest moorage is part of your plan.
- Before getting underway: Review the latest marine forecast, warnings, observations, tides, currents, charts, and navigation notices. Check equipment and crew readiness.
- On arrival: Follow current Port procedures. Do not enter expecting that a slip will be available.
- Before the show: Prepare the boat for darkness while there is still useful light.
- Before departing Poulsbo: Check conditions again. Be willing to change or stop the plan if the return no longer fits the crew or vessel.
View the official event page and contact the Port of Poulsbo, then confirm current timing, moorage, rules, weather, tides, currents, navigation notices, visibility, and on-the-water conditions before you go.