It’s starting to get a little chilly out there, but don’t let that keep you away from the water, especially this weekend. Why? Because it’s time for Weekend on the Water, and that’s kind of a big deal.
The Weekend on the Water event was developed by Concord Rotary in conjunction with the Concord Parks and Recreation Department as well as New Hampshire Distributors and Concord Crew as a means to provide a multi-faceted event that celebrates local resources (the Merrimack River and Riverfront Park) while providing an opportunity for folks in the area to get together and do something fun and interesting while ultimately raising funds for the Rotary’s community support fund and the parks & rec park improvement program.
This event, now in its fourth year, will have dragon boat races, live local music, local food vendors, a local craft brewfest, a beer garden and potentially a wine service at the beer garden, and a growing craft fair with something on the order of 50 local vendors – and that’s just Saturday!
Sunday will provide some great excitement, starting the day with the Concord Crew annual regatta, some local food vendors, the craft fair, music and then the Rotary duck race at 1 p.m., where the winner will receive $1,000 for a first-place finish. The top 10 winners will receive some level of prize money, with the lowest value being $100.
This duck race is a big deal. Last year, about 6,000 little duckies floated down the river, and even more are expected this year. Ducks cost $5 each or you can buy a Quack Pack of five ducks for $20. You can buy ducks by sending an email to info@concordwow.org or by finding the Rotary trailer and other tents at the event until they’re sold out.
The dragon boat races are also a unique event – picture an oversized canoe with a dragon head and tail on either end of the boat and 20 rowers in the boat with one drummer to keep pace. The rowers will paddle the boat down the river at a furious pace, with some 12 or 13 teams competing in the event.
Dragon boat racing is the fastest-growing water sport in the country. This is a sanctioned event and will feature two teams from Boston who will be joining in the fun.
All in all, this is a very ambitious event, but it’s sure to be loads of fun.
“We are always trying to find ways to promote the event and improve the experience for our participants and spectators,” said Gary Miller of the Rotary. “We are working to keep things local and to build this event to become a premier destination for late summer, early fall entertainment while raising awareness for each of the groups involved and to help raise money for future activities.”
The two-day event begins Saturday at Riverfront Park – the area behind Everett Arena. Admission is free but several activities charge a fee. For more information and a full schedule of events, go to concordwow.org.
Insider staff
