Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta facts for kids
The Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta is a big annual festival held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It's named for the three rivers that meet in Pittsburgh: the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers. The festival first started in 1978. It often features exciting F1 ChampBoat Series races. The first F1 powerboat race in the United States was held at this Regatta in 1982. After a short break, F1 Power Boat racing returned in 2008. The festival used to happen around the July 4th holiday. However, since 2016, it has returned to its traditional time in early August. This Regatta is the largest inland boat festival in the United States. Tens of thousands of people come to watch along the Allegheny River. The F1 race course is about 1.25 miles (2 km) long. In 2008, the Pittsburgh Regatta F1 ChampBoat race was even shown on the Speed Channel.
The Regatta continues a tradition of boat races. These races began with the "Pittsburgh Welcome Week Regatta" in 1949. They featured speed boats and paddle wheelers.
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Fun at the Pittsburgh Regatta
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The Regatta is a three-day festival in downtown Pittsburgh. It has many exciting events for everyone. You can enjoy free concerts and try different foods from vendors. There are also amazing aerial shows in the sky. Many water sports take place on the rivers. You can even see exciting dragon boat races. The festival also includes the big July Fourth fireworks display for the City of Pittsburgh. It's estimated that over 1.5 million people attend the Regatta events each year.
A Past Accident at the Regatta
On August 7, 1988, an accident happened during one of the Formula 1 boat races. A boat went off course and crashed near Three Rivers Stadium. Some people were injured during this event.
Music and the Regatta
On August 7, 1993, the famous music group The Kinks was playing nearby. They were performing at the I.C. Light Amphitheater. The band's lead singer, Ray Davies, was bothered by the noise from the Regatta. He was especially annoyed by a fireworks show. Because of this, he made up a song on the spot. He called it "Regatta ...".
Regatta Cancellations
The Three Rivers Regatta has faced some challenges. On July 30, 2019, the Regatta was cancelled for that year. It was supposed to happen from August 2 to 4, 2019. The organizers said the event's promoter did not get the necessary permits and insurance. Also, money was still owed from earlier Regattas. This included money to the state of Pennsylvania for using Point State Park. Money was also owed to the city of Pittsburgh and the Allegheny County Sheriff's Office for security. Because of these issues, the Regatta was also cancelled in 2020 and 2021.
