By Kathy Chouteau
The SS Red Oak Victory, a historic World War II Victory ship docked at the Port of Richmond, will host its first Pancake Breakfast of the 2026 season on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 10, offering families a classic breakfast on the waterfront with sweeping views across San Francisco Bay.
Breakfast will be served from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and will include pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon and apple slices, with orange juice, coffee and tea. Mimosas will be available for an additional charge for adults. Tickets are $20 (plus ticketing fees) for adults and $5 (plus ticketing fees) for children 8 and under. While breakfast ends at 1 p.m., the ship remains open for guests until 4 p.m.
Live music will set the scene for a delightful experience, with The Benny Amón Band playing classic jazz and swing throughout the morning.
A limited number of same-day ship tours will be available for purchase at a discounted rate. The ship’s original 1944 radio room will also be operating, so those interested can send free Radiograms to friends and family around the world.
“We look forward to starting up our Pancake Breakfasts every year by welcoming Moms from all over the Bay Area to Red Oak Victory for breakfast on their special day,” said the ship’s Director of Marketing, Fred Klink. “This year we’ll have a contest for Moms and the lucky winners will get to sound the ship’s whistle!”
Operated as a museum ship by the nonprofit Richmond Museum Association, the SS Red Oak Victory is the last surviving vessel of the 747 ships built at the Richmond Kaiser Shipyards during World War II. The ship is open to the public every Sunday (10 a.m. to 4 p.m., or 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in winter), with options ranging from a self-guided audio tour to docent-led tours, including an engine room tour for visitors ages 12 and up.
After the Mother’s Day kickoff, the ship plans four more Pancake Breakfast fundraisers in the months ahead: Father’s Day on June 21, Western Swing on Aug. 9, Tiki on Sept. 13, and a Fleet Week-themed breakfast on Oct. 11.
The SS Red Oak Victory is located at 1337 Canal Blvd. in Richmond. Click here to purchase tickets to the Mother’s Day Pancake Breakfast. For more information, visitors can check out the Red Oak Victory website.
