Hundreds of Northwest boats have registered to be in the Seattle Yacht Club's annual Opening Day boat parade on Saturday — a local rite of spring that brings crowds of spectators to the shorelines of Seattle's Portage Bay and Montlake Cut.

The yacht club says dozens of Pacific Northwest yacht clubs and boating organizations have committed to be represented in the parade, from Lake Union through the Montlake Cut and into Lake Washington. A number of boats will be decorated to reflect this year's "Caribbean Carnival" theme.

Opening Day, which marks the start of the boating season on local waters, includes a celebration of many kinds of water activities.

This year's festivities will include a morning of crew races, a sailboat race, and the grand boat parade, starting at noon. Opening Day this year also marks the 20th anniversary of the Windermere Cup crew races. Opening Day is always the first Saturday in May.

A schedule of Opening Day activities is online at www.seattleyachtclub.org.

Getting around

The Elliott Bay Water Taxi that shuttles passengers between the downtown Seattle waterfront and West Seattle's Seacrest marina during spring and summer months will be free for all on Sunday to celebrate the shuttle's new season.

A community celebration will be held from noon to 2 p.m. at Seacrest Marina Park, 1660 Harbor Ave. S.W., with refreshments and entertainment. The water-taxi season started Monday.

Traffic watch

Shoreline: Up to three lanes of northbound Interstate 5, from Northeast 175th Street to Northeast 205th Street will be closed tonight and Thursday, from 7 p.m. until 6 the following mornings for road striping work. Motorists are advised to take alternate routes if possible.

Can you help?

DeVry University's Federal Way campus will host the Support America's Armed Forces "Operation Pride" packing party on Saturday to help pack care packages, including toiletries, candies and snacks donated by local schoolchildren and communities, for thousands of military personnel serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The party will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. DeVry's campus is at 3600 S. 344th Way.

Anyone interested in volunteering to help can call 253-686-9947. The Puyallup-based organization also is accepting monetary donations to assist in paying shipping fees.

Here & Now is compiled by Seattle Times staff reporter Charles E. Brown and news assistant Suesan Whitney Henderson. To submit an item, e-mail herenow@ seattletimes.com or call 206-464-2226.

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