Mobile’s 2026 Mardi Gras ship, USS Farragut, to arrive in port Feb. 13
Feb 5th, 2026
Posted in: Press ReleaseMardi Gras
Mobile, Ala. — The Mobile Council of the Navy League of the United States, the City of Mobile, and the Alabama Port Authority invite Mobilians to join in welcoming the USS Farragut as Mobile’s 2026 Mardi Gras ship on Friday, Feb. 13.
The USS Farragut (DDG-99), a U.S. Navy ship whose motto is “Prepared for Battle,” is expected to begin transiting the Mobile Ship Channel shortly after daybreak Feb. 13, with an anticipated arrival in port around 10 a.m.
The public and media are invited to welcome the ship and its sailors during an arrival ceremony beginning at 11 a.m. Representatives from the Navy, the Navy League and local officials will be on hand along with JROTC students, and iconic Mobile ambassadors like USS Alabama Shipmates, Azalea Trail Maids and the Blow House Brass Band.
The USS Farragut (DDG-99) is an Arleigh Burke-class, multi-mission destroyer designed to defend against — and, if required, destroy — enemy forces on the ocean’s surface, over land, in the air, under the waves and even in space. For more than 100 years, the City of Mobile has welcomed a U.S. Navy ship to the Port of Mobile during the height of the Mardi Gras season so the sailors aboard can experience the nation’s oldest Mardi Gras celebrations.
Brian Campbell, a retired U.S. Navy commander, serves as the Navy League’s Mardi Gras liaison and said this year’s Mardi Gras ship is particularly meaningful because of her namesake’s ties to Alabama’s historic port city.
“Adm. David Glasgow Farragut played a defining role in the Battle of Mobile Bay in August 1864, one of the most consequential naval engagements of the Civil War,” Campbell said. “His bold command — famously remembered as ‘Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!’ — led Union forces through a heavily mined channel and secured a decisive victory that closed the Port of Mobile. His leadership, decisiveness and courage remain hallmarks of U.S. naval heritage.”
“Just like Mardi Gras, shipbuilding and our long relationship with the Navy are a part of Mobile’s identity,” Mayor Spiro Cheriogotis said. “We’re proud of both traditions and excited to celebrate them together as we welcome the USS Farragut and its sailors to the home of America’s first and best Carnival celebrations.”
The USS Farragut will be open for public tours from Saturday, Feb. 14, through Tuesday, Feb. 17. Tours will be available daily from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. CST. No reservations are required. The ship will be berthed at Pier 2 at Alabama State Docks, located at 10 N. Water St. It can be accessed on the north side of the Mobile Convention Center. For more information, contact Navy League Mardi Gras liaison Brian Campbell by email at bacnavy94@gmail.com.