Vashon’s new water taxi, the Sally Fox, will sail to the island this weekend for a dedication ceremony and is expected to begin service on the Vashon to downtown Seattle route in early April.

The Saturday afternoon dedication ceremony will be attended by King County Executive Dow Constantine and other officials and will include refreshments, live music and free rides on the new passenger ferry.

The Sally Fox is one of two new catamarans replacing King County’s current water taxis, aging boats the county has leased since 2010. Built by All American Marine in Bellingham, it will carry 250 passengers, 78 more than the current boat. The Sally Fox, which was funded almost entirely by federal grants, was delivered to Seattle earlier this month for crew familiarization and training. It is expected to begin service sometime in early April, after training in Elliot Bay is complete.

The dedication will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at the north-end ferry dock, and festivities will go until 4 p.m. The lower lot of the ferry parking lot will be closed to accommodate parking for the event, and a shuttle will take guests to the dock.