Grosse Pointe Farms Regatta to return over July 4 weekend

GROSSE POINTE FARMS — After a two-year absence because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Grosse Pointe Farms Regatta is back.

Organized by the Grosse Pointe Farms Boat Club and the Farms Parks and Recreation Department, the 69th annual regatta weekend will begin July 1 at Pier Park with a children’s sidewalk chalk art contest and children’s art in the park from 6 to 7 p.m. The Farms Cup Sail Race will take place at 7 p.m., as well as a concert by Not 2Nite, and food and a cash bar will be available.

July 2 festivities at Pier Park will begin at 10 a.m. with yoga in the park (for which participants need to bring their own mats) and a decorated bicycle parade led by a superhero. Showcase your inner Martha Stewart by taking part in a picnic table decorating contest from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. From 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Dragonmead and the Grosse Pointe Farms Boat Club will be serving beer and wine in a tent. A food truck specializing in lobster dishes will be on hand to feed hungry attendees from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., and for those who remain hungry after that, there will be a pie-eating contest at noon.

From noon to 3 p.m., children can enjoy bounce houses, face painting, a magician and a visit from beloved superhero and princess characters. Yellow ducky races will take place at 1 p.m., and inflatable boat races will be held at 3 p.m. From 3 to 6 p.m., the family fun will continue with a corn hole tournament. The blues band Steve Dely and the Detroit Travelers will perform from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. A sandcastle-building contest will take place from 4 to 5 p.m., as will a closest-to-the-pin contest. The evening will conclude with a concert by Nick Kuhl and the Gang from 7 to 11 p.m.

The weekend will wrap up July 3 with a pet parade at 1 p.m. at Pier Park and a boat and paddle craft float on Lake St. Clair at 2 p.m.

“The boat club has really put a lot of work in to really make it special,” City Manager Shane Reeside said. “It should be a lot of fun.”

Along with traditional activities, such as the pie-eating contest and bike parade, this year’s regatta features more music and the addition of a food truck and craft brews.

The fireworks display that used to take place on the Saturday of regatta weekend has now been moved to Sept. 3 as part of the Parks and Recreation Department’s second annual End of Summer Bash. The rain date for the fireworks display is Sept. 4.

“It should be a very nice time,” Assistant City Manager/City Clerk Derrick Kozicki said earlier this year of the fireworks.

The regatta is open to Farms residents and their guests. For more information, visit www.grossepointefarms.org or call (313) 343-2405.