Have you heard of Tulsa’s Great Raft Race?
Many of you remember Tulsa’s Great Raft Race — it kicked off nearly 43 years ago.
At the peak of its popularity, the event drew 150,000 spectators! It was quite an event. As a matter of fact, it wasn’t an uncommon thing for the mayor of Tulsa and governor of Oklahoma to have their own rafts!
Last year, Tulsans rejoiced when the Great Raft Race returned to T-town. It wasn’t hard to figure out whether it was a success or not; Tulsa showed up en masse and everyone had a great time!
Before I go on, I do want to mention one thing: if you haven’t made Labor Day plans yet, you’ll most definitely want to get down to the river to check this out. It’s a total blast. Registration ended in August for those looking to join in on the rafting fun, but watching the creative rafts as they roll in is my favorite part.
Okay — let’s do this!
1. Gorgeous scenery
The 8-mile float down the Arkansas River — kicking off at the Sand Springs River City Park (2500 S River City Park Road, Sand Springs, OK 74063) — treats rafters to views of the gorgeous Oklahoma flora and fauna. As this year’s rafters get further along in the race, they’ll float closer to the beautiful downtown Tulsa skyline.
2. The amazing (and sometimes hilarious) display of crazy rafts!
From 1973 to 1991, the Great Raft Race brought tens of thousands of Tulsans together for a great time. The biggest part of that — to me, at least — is seeing the creativity of the participants of the race come to fruition.
Check out the video below to see some of the great rafts from this last year (and check out the next video below that to see some of the classics from some of the older Great Raft Races.)
3. This is an actual successful resurgence of part of Tulsa’s history!
The visual aspect of the video clip above really brings home reality that, although the Great Raft Race had an unfortunately long dormant stage, Tulsans are excited to have this back.
Year one is already behind us, but there is still plenty of opportunity to get in early and watch as this race grows back to the size it was at its biggest.
4. Tulsans really get into it.
According to the official website of the Great Raft Race, “there were 600 rafts, 4500 racers, and 150,000 spectators that lined the banks of the Arkansas River from Sand Springs to Tulsa (at its peak.)”
At one point, Tulsans were really into this race… and that was way before the days of social media, blogs, and the big local news outlets’ websites. That’s right folks — I guarantee you right now that this race is just going to get bigger and bigger.
Hmmm… this almost reminds me of another Tulsa race that turned into one of Tulsa’s biggest annual outdoor events: a little diddy we all know as Tulsa Tough.
And guess what: as more and more Tulsans get in on this, corporate sponsorship should only grow… that means more fundage for more fun.
5. These Shirts.
Seriously. Will someone just buy me the blue one already?
6. The Bud Light Boatyard Bash
It’s a mouthful, but this is the place for fun if you’re going to be spectating.
With live music, food, bar carts, and even a kids’ play area, the Bud Light Boatyard Bash is set up keep spectators comfortable and happy while they cheer on their seaward buddies!
7. I mean, c’mon: it’s a giant raft race.
What is your Labor Day alternative? Grilling hotdogs?
Forget all that this year and bring your peeps out to a new/old Tulsa tradition!
Thanks for reading! Hope to see you all out at the race! If you liked this article, we’d be totally stoked (dude) if you shared it on your social media account du jour. Follow us on Facebook for more Tulsa fun, food, and giveaways!