Date/Time
Date(s) - 07/29/2017
Time: See Description
Location
Sandy Beach
Categories
Heber Springs Area Chamber of Commerce will host the 31st Annual World Championship Cardboard Boat Races on July 29, 2017 at Sandy Beach on Greers Ferry Lake. Not only are these cardboard crafts amazing feats of engineering, the 2017 race is sure to be a creative triumph, as this year’s theme invites participants to design their boats to align with the theme of DC versus Marvel.
Race participants will stretch the limits of their ingenuity to design boats made entirely of corrugated cardboard. Not only do these boats, ranging from simple rafts to stunning ships, float, they must also complete four heats around a 200-yard course on Greers Ferry Lake. No other construction materials are allowed, with the exception of tape, waterproofing, and oars to propel the craft. No wood, no metal, no motors—just cardboard and imagination—a powerful combination that earned the event the coveted Event of the Year Alfie Award from the Arkansas Festivals & Events Association in 2015 and 2016.
Boat races will begin at 10:00 a.m., with timed heats for both children and adults. The Pride of the Fleet Prize will be awarded to the boat that best combines innovative engineering with artistic design, while the Captain’s Award goes to the team with the greatest spirit and crowd involvement. And of course, the Titanic Award is reserved for the boat with the most dramatic sinking.
There’s plenty of additional fun planned for the day, with a treasure dig and watermelon-eating contest. Enjoy the spectacular surroundings of Heber Springs, a jewel of a town located just 60 miles north of Little Rock, on the shores of Greers Ferry Lake and the Little Red River in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains.