The historic Carlisle II ferry is coming to Poulsbo in February. The century-old vessel and oldest continuously operated ferry in the Puget Sound still runs passenger ferry service for Kitsap Transit, on the Bremerton-Port Orchard route, but this Saturday will make special arrivals on the shores of Liberty Bay.
The trips come courtesy of Frosty Fest 2024, a community festival along Front Street now in its second year.
The use of the Carlisle II draws on an idea from summer 2023, when the boat was used as a “pop-up” foot ferry between Bremerton and Silverdale over Labor Day weekend to transport passengers to and from the Blackberry Festival on Bremerton’s waterfront. The popularity of riding the historic ship that weekend led Poulsbo organizers to invest in a similar service, and on February 10 passengers will be able to ride the Carlisle II between Bremerton and Poulsbo for free all day.
“We wanted to keep it a really fun experience,” said Marianna Smyth, the president of the Historic Downtown Poulsbo Association (HDPA) and one of the main organizers for Frosty Fest 2024.