Cassie Northern 
That pile of cardboard boxes in your garage could have a second life as a boat at this annual racing event in Reston. On Saturday, August 8th, the Reston Museum will host the sixth annual Cardboard Boat Regatta in Lake Anne. This fundraising event consists of boat races between multiple local teams who have created their vessels out of cardboard. In addition to the competitive fun, there will also be local vendors, food and live music, and everyone is invited to cheer on the teams and enjoy. Read on for more information about the Cardboard Boat Regatta at Lake Anne Plaza.
The Tradition
Reston Museum hosted its very first Cardboard Boat Regatta in August of 2017. The event has since then become a favorite among locals, growing in attendance each year and building an audience of thousands.
Read more: From Pandemic Hobby to Reston Bakery: Inside Chiboo Bakery at Lake Anne Plaza
Kurt Rose, a member of the Reston Museum Board and the chair of Reston’s Museum Cardboard Boat Regatta Committee, said that the idea for the regatta started the year before. In 2016, he was asked to come up with a new idea for a fundraiser. “I sat down with Melissa Romano, the owner of Lake Anne Brewhouse, to discuss what we could do on the plaza that would be a great community event and fundraiser for the museum, and also help bring a crowd for all the merchants on the plaza,” Kurt said. Lake Anne was the perfect spot to inspire the new event. “As we looked out on the lake, she said they do a cardboard boat race in Ohio, and thought it would work perfectly at Lake Anne,” he said. “Well, turns out she was right.”
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Kurt said that the first regatta saw 25 boat entries and that almost 1,000 people showed up, curious about what the event was all about. The following year, in 2018, the intrigue only increased. “The crowd doubled, and so did the number of boats,” Kurt said.
What’s A Cardboard Boat Regatta?
It all starts with some cardboard and a dream. After registering for the event online, teams begin to create their entries according to the race guidelines, building personalized boats out of cardboard.
The teams are of all ages -adults and kids alike – and boats are of all sizes, shapes, and colors. They have all kinds of creative themes and designs, like ones shaped like animals or fruits or based on a personal favorite band. It’s truly a showcase of all the local STEM skills, creativity and talent. The assorted cardboard boats also represent local school faculty and students, Girl Scout troops, churches, community centers and more, as many teams may register as an organization. This year, the event will have 40 teams participating overall.
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“What’s great about this event is that every year, the boat designs are new and different,” Kurt said. “The first year we had a lot of sinkings; since then, the boat designs have gotten better and faster. We have had a life-size cardboard Barbie-house boat, and a spa company made a large enough boat that they could put a cardboard massage table on it and do a massage during the race! So every year, there’s something new, and it’s always exciting to see the designs.”
After the boats are all completed, they’ll go race bow-to-bow at Lake Anne. The races consist of the teams paddling down to a buoy, going around it and coming back, with two (or even three) going at a time. Some boats go all the way to their destination and back, while some unfortunately aren’t as lucky… and some even sink straight away. A special recognition is reserved for those crafts: they have a chance at winning the “Titanic award” later on.
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If you’re having a hard time visualizing the chaos, this video from Reston Museum showcasing its 2019 regatta might help.
There was even an extra-special moment at last year’s boat regatta. “Last year, we had a surprise engagement on the dock,” Kurt said. “We had the gent sail in on a party barge with a brass band playing, and coaxed his soon-to-be fiancée to the main dock. We were very relieved that she said yes!”
Why Are We Doing This?
The Cardboard Boat Regatta was created to do three things: bring the local community together, raise money for the Reston Museum, and help bring attention to Lake Anne merchants.
All of the money that’s made from the regatta goes towards the Reston Museum, which is a nonprofit organization all about education and community. Its most recent exhibit, which ended in June, showcased famous people from Reston. There are also a few virtual exhibits that can be explored online and detail the histories of different communities within Reston.
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“I love how this event brings families, schools and businesses together for an afternoon of friendship and fun,” Kurt said. “It’s something that I believe Robert Simon, the creator of Reston, would have been proud of.”
What to Know
The event will be free to attend as a spectator, and it doesn’t stop at just cardboard boat racing: there will also be vendors, live music, food and a chance to simply observe the boats, as they’ll all be viewable for an hour before the race. Onsite food vendors will include Uncle Fred’s BBQ, Jimmy’s Tavern and Hawaii’s Best Shave Ice. The races will take place from 1:00 to 3:00, but the live music and boat viewing will be from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM.
See more: Reston-Born Band RDGLDGRN Is Coming Home for a Special Summer Concert
Reston Museum announced that the boat viewing will be paired with live music by Crush Funk, a brass band from DC who have also performed at the regatta in past years. The races will start directly after.
At the very end of the event, awards will be given to the racers in a few different categories and for first, second, and third place. These awards, made by Nova Labs Makerschool in Fairfax, have cardboard boats in the design, keeping true to the theme. The Titanic Award will also be given out to the boat that sinks in the most dramatic way.
An earlier arrival will ensure a better view of the main event, and you can bring your own chairs. You can also buy priority VIP seating online through a donation to the museum.
Organizers say the parking lot will probably run out of spaces fast, and therefore has a few other ideas for places to park on its website. You can also park in the Reston Town Center’s garage, as it’s free over the weekends, and get a little exercise in by taking a 1-mile walk to the event site. Overall, Reston Museum wants people to bring some friends and a voice ready to shout to what they refer to as “the splashiest event of the summer.”
The Reston Cardboard Boat Regatta will take place on August 8th at Lake Anne Plaza, which is at 1609 Washington Plaza North in Reston.
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