Dozens of cardboard boats will populate the waters of Lake Anne in Reston this Saturday (Aug. 10) for the 2024 Cardboard Boat Regatta.
The popular annual event, where community members race each other in life-sized cardboard boats that they built and decorated by hand, will return Lake Anne Plaza (1639 Washington Plaza North), starting at noon and ending at 3 p.m.
This year, there will be 40 boats competing in timed heats. Nearly 1,000 spectators are expected, according to Reston Museum, which organizes the regatta as a fundraiser.
While watching teams race to a designated buoy and back to the docks, attendees will be treated to live music, and restaurants around the plaza will be open.
“A fun and unique event, the Lake Anne Cardboard Boat Regatta has quickly become a community favorite growing in size each year,” the event page says. “The Regatta brings together residents, businesses, and visitors from across the Greater Washington, D.C. metro area.”
Founded in 1997 as a nonprofit, Reston Museum uses the regatta’s proceeds — which come from registration fees and sponsorships — to fund its exhibits, history and artifact preservation efforts, free educational programs and other community events.
The museum’s current exhibition, “Art of Lake Anne Plaza,” features work by local artists that includes the plaza and “showcases how both the physical space and attitudes towards Reston have evolved over the years.” The exhibit is on display through Aug. 31.
