Fireworks and the Fishtown Horribles Parade are traditional opening events to Gloucester's annual Fourth of July celebrations.

But a major newcomer is sailing into the picture for this weekend's holiday festivities.

SailGloucester, a non-profit volunteer alliance dedicated to promoting Gloucester as a historic, friendly port, has scheduled five ships to sail into Gloucester Harbor as part of its inaugural Independence Day celebration, with the stately visitors to include the 179-foot-long barque Picton Castle, which boasts more than 12,000 square feet of sails and hails from the Cook Islands in the South Pacific.

"We're hoping to really generate more visitor impact and economic impact in our own city," said Ally O'Connor, SailGloucester's executive director. "One of things we're looking at doing is attracting visitors who might go to other seaports. Portsmouth (N.H.) started with one ship, and now they carry on an event that attracts 18,000 people over a few days."

SailGloucester's opening celebration expects to attract a smaller crowd, 3,000 to 5,000 people tomorrow to July 7, but it features free deck tours of all visiting tall ships and multiple sailing trips on the gaff topsail schooner, Spirit of Massachusetts, including a sunset and fireworks sail tonight.

"It's really about time that we have recognized the potential for attracting vessels from around the world that are passing by this port and not stopping in," said SailGloucester member Tom Ellis, who owns and captains the Gloucester-based schooner Thomas E. Lannon. "We have one of the richest maritime histories in this town, so any sail-training vessel going by would have a rich experience by stopping here."

Along with the Spirit of Massachusetts and the Picton Castle, the other tall ships that will come to Gloucester Harbor are the schooner American Eagle, the gaff topsail ketch Angelique and the oldest active sailboat in the United States, the schooner Lewis R. French. Each vessel will arrive at different times throughout the weekend, but the Spirit of Massachusetts will be in the harbor this morning, with its first schooner sail set for 9 a.m.

"With the boats in the harbor it's going to make it so festive and exciting," Laura Dow, who chairs the city's Tourism Commission, said of the ships' impact on the Fourth of July celebrations. "When (the tall ships) come to Boston it's always such a treat, and to have them right here before they go down to Boston is just special."

Dow, who has also been a volunteer and supporter of SailGloucester, said the holiday event will attract more visitors to the Gloucester area because once the tourists get here, they'll see the variety of downtown shops and restaurants and spread the good word.

Lorre Anderson, president of Gloucester Downtown and co-owner of The Black Swan, has worked to encourage more visitors to come through the city's Main Street area with SailGloucester. She said the crews aboard the visiting ships will be given wristbands to receive discounts at some restaurants and stores downtown. Dow said she's also assembled bags with brochures and maps so that when they get off the boat, they can go out and enjoy themselves without any confusion or questions.

"With the recent paving of Main Street, it's looking very inviting, and we're going to do whatever we can to make them feel very welcome," Anderson said.

O'Connor said another popular event after the weekend will be the Business Program Breakfast Forum at the Gloucester House Restaurant on Monday at 8 a.m. Three well-respected sailors will serve as panelists in a lively, engaging discussion about their sailing experiences.

Capt. Dan Moreland of the Picton Castle, Bert Rogers, the executive director of the American Sail Training Association, and Gloucester native Iain Kerr — chief executive officer of Ocean Alliance, which is revitalizing the historic Paint Factory — will all speak and respond to questions in a forum moderated by Mayor Carolyn Kirk.

O'Connor also said the Gloucester High School Sailing Program will also have the opportunity to pick up tips and techniques from five to 10 crew members of the Picton Castle when they get together for a community service program.

While SailGloucester's Fourth of July celebration will be its first flurry of activities, O'Connor said the city and its residents can rest assured it won't be the last.

"We've perceive it as more everyday business than just the weekend celebration," she said.

Cameron Kittle can be reached at gt_reporter@gloucestertimes.com