A drone show over fireworks? Carnival alternatives? See the latest in this year's Boat Week
Three months out from Boat Week, and already, a few big changes may be in the works for the festivities associated with this year’s historic 100th Port Huron-to-Mackinac Island Sailboat Race.
The Bayview Yacht Club is seeing a record-breaking number of boats registered for the big race July 20.
Meanwhile, the city of Port Huron is weighing a couple of updates for Blue Water Fest, including a large drone show instead of fireworks on Family Night and alternatives to the multi-day event’s carnival.
So, what's happening with the race?
As of Tuesday, David Stoyka, of the Marx Layne & Company, the promotional firm working with Bayview, said they had 328 boats registered and anticipated 350. He said the previous record number was 316.
So far, Stoyka added that registered boats were coming in from 15 states, as well as Ontario, Canada.
Last October, Bayview announced that all boats participating will race one way: On the original 1925 course, which was used during the first Bayview Mackinac Race.
The course covers 204 nautical miles, or 235 statute miles, from its traditional start in southern Lake Huron before heading north along the shoreline, west passing south of Bois Blanc Island, and toward the finish line between Mackinac and Round Island.
According to Bayview, the original course started three nautical miles south of the current one off of Lakeside Park, moving to its current location as the race gained participants.
Bayview had also announced National Fleet Services would be the presenting sponsor for the 100th race in conjunction with the opening of registration. Additionally, since then, Stoyka said they’ve added a host of new sponsors, including Detroit City Distillery, Casamigos Tequila, Goat Yard Marine, Detroit Liquid Ventures, Deep Eddy Vodka and others.
The Port Huron-to-Mackinac island Sailboat Race starts around 10:30 a.m. that Saturday.
What about the rest of Boat Week?
Official activities kick off on Wednesday, July 17, with the Rotary International Day Parade.
Keely Baribeau, a Rotary spokesperson, said the parade committee has begun to meet, and that this year’s theme was “All Hands On Deck – A Century of Sailing.”
It was expected to begin around the usual time and place at 6:30 p.m. around Glenwood Street before heading south through downtown. However, this year, Baribeau said the route wouldn’t be quite as long, ending at Court Street.
Casey Harris, owner of Casey’s Pizza, had also been designated this year’s parade grand marshal, she said.
As for Blue Water Fest, Natacha Hayden, director of the city’s Downtown Development Authority, gave the DDA board a quick update ahead of signing off on a special liquor license application at a meeting early Tuesday.
Typically, fireworks end Thursday’s Family Night festivities for the festival, which this year is on July 18, but Hayden said that they were weighing a drone show instead.
“We don’t need as much space as we do for fireworks,” she said.
Also, looking at youth-friendly activities last year, Hayden said, “The carnival wasn’t a home run ... so we’re looking back and forth into different alternatives (that) still have rides and things for kids to do.”
Another change this year for Blue Water Fest could be for vendors that traditionally fill booths on Main Street on Thursday and Friday.
This year, because of the boat race’s 100th year, Hayden said they’ve asked vendors to stick around on Saturday, as well. She said she expected to see the 86 vendors from last year return.
“So, they’re starting on Thursday night around four o’clock , and then, all day on Friday. And from, I would say, 9 to 2 on Saturday morning,” Hayden said. “The whole idea is people come downtown to say goodbye to the boats, and they can do some shopping, as well. Every downtown merchant is welcome to be part of the street fair if they would like. It is free for downtown merchants.”
City Manager James Freed added, “I literally believe Saturday will be the busiest day for them because you have all those families of boaters.”
Otherwise, much of Blue Water Fest would be the same for visitors as it was in years prior, including a similar layout.
Early maps show road closures at Huron Avenue from the Military Street Bridge to a block north of McMorran Boulevard, nearly all of Quay Street from Grand River Avenue to Fort and Michigan streets, and the Operation Transformation Family Night area along the Black River west of Erie Street.
The layout, as planned, leaves the nearby East Quay, majestic, Superior, north McMorran, and St. Clair County lots available for parking. Other city lots and the SC4 lot at Glenwood and Stone Street, as well as the Acheson Ventures’ Desmond Landing were also listed as available with a shuttle route heading from Desmond up Military Street and over the Seventh Street Bridge to the Blue Water Area Transit bus hub.
The lot west of the bus hub along Erie Street is designated as a kids zone.
A beer tent will be included around the West Quay or Zebra parking lot, one of a few entertainment areas.
“There’s going to be three stages just like last year, so our footprint and street closures will be very similar to what we had in the past,” Hayden said. “… (The) main stage or the national acts that we have are going to be by the Z parking lot. McMoran is bringing some local acts, and Elite Feet and Bootleggers came up with a partnership, and they are bringing more local acts, as well. There’s going to be third stage. Usually, I say four stages, because I do count the (Port Huron) Yacht Club. As you know, they have their party over there, too.”
Boat Week information is typically updated at thebluewaterfest.com. Currently, there's a countdown to this year’s festivities starting July 17.
Contact Jackie Smith at (810) 989-6270 or jssmith@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Find out the latest plans for this year's historic Boat Week fun
