In this photo from 2018, Detroit Tigers mascot Paws greets a participant in the Grosse Pointe Farms Boat Club Regatta weekend’s decorated bike parade contest. The bike parade and other popular Regatta activities are on the schedule again for this year’s event, June 30 through July 2 at Pier Park.
By: K. Michelle Moran | Grosse Pointe Times | Published June 20, 2023
GROSSE POINTE FARMS — Grosse Pointe Farms residents and their guests don’t need to travel to find something enjoyable to do over the July 4 weekend — all they need to do is head to Pier Park.
The Grosse Pointe Farms Boat Club, in conjunction with the city, will be presenting its 70th annual Regatta, a weekend full of activities for all ages, June 30 to July 2. Contrary to the event’s name, few of the activities involve boats, so landlubbers will feel as comfortable as seasoned sailors.
At press time, the weekend was slated to start with a children’s chalk art contest from 6 to 7 p.m. June 30. The Farms Sail Cup Race — a reverse handicap race — will take place at 7 p.m. that day. June 30 will also feature the Regatta Island Party from 6 to 10 p.m., with live music by Jarrod Champion, along with complimentary food and a cash bar.
July 1 will kick off at 9 a.m. with a three-on-three basketball tournament for students in eighth to ninth grades and 10th to 12th grades. Youngsters are invited to bring their creative skills to enhance their bikes for a chance to win prizes during the decorated bike parade at 10 a.m., which will be led by a costumed superhero.
Find your inner Zen during yoga in the park at 10 a.m.; participants need to bring their own mats. Other activities during the day include a picnic table decorating contest, pie eating contest, yellow ducky races, inflatable boat races, bounce houses, a cornhole toss tournament and much more. A lobster food truck will be on hand for anyone who wants to purchase food from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and during those same hours, the Boat Club will offer a cash bar tent with wine and beer from Dragonmead Brewery. July 1 will conclude with a concert by the band Not 2 Nite from 6 to 10 p.m.
Finally, bring your friendly four-legged besties to the park for the pet parade at 1 p.m. July 2.
“There’s a lot of fun-filled activities,” said Farms resident Maryann Houmani, commodore of the GPFBC. “There’s going to be two great live bands. Come down. Bring a chair. Enjoy some live music.”
She said the Regatta draws about 3,000 visitors over the weekend, making it the largest annual event at Pier Park.
“The Farms park is the only park (in the area) that does a full weekend of activities,” Houmani said. “You have generations (of residents) there.”
Farms City Manager Shane Reeside expressed “a huge amount of gratitude and kudos” to the club for organizing this event.
“It’s a tradition that goes back years and generations,” Reeside said. “It just offers a weekend of family fun for our residents.”
Houmani said the city and Boat Club volunteers put a lot of time and effort into presenting the Regatta each year. The payoff is seeing the smiles of adults and kids as they engage in traditional activities like the pie eating contest, along with newer additions like corn hole.
“It’s a great reason to not go away (for July 4th),” Houmani said.
While fireworks used to be presented on the Saturday of Regatta weekend, that display has now been moved to the End of Summer Bash on Labor Day weekend.
For more information or a complete schedule of events, visit gpfbc.com/2023-regatta.