Jeff Rieg constructed a float for this year’s Strawberry Festival that carried Luci and Romeo, the two dinosaurs that attended this year’s festival, in the annual parade. (Rieger Regatta Photo)
On Aug. 4, with a push off from the Hickories Park boat launch in Owego, homemade crafts will enter the water for the annual Rieger Regatta, a trek down the Susquehanna River from Owego to Nichols.
This event was originally scheduled for July 28, but had to be moved out a week because of heavy rainfall and river conditions.
Local resident Jeff Rieg founded the Rieger Regatta eight years ago, and was inspired by his love the Susquehanna River.
Rieg recently stated, “In 1983 I did my last raft race from Owego to Nichols. I missed it so much that I decided to do my own raft race.”
Since that time, even though Rieg doubted whether it would take off or not, it began to grow and is now a successful, annual event.
This year, Rieg is expecting attendance to reach anywhere from 300 to over 1,000 people arriving in kayaks, tubes, and 30 rafts or more. Guests arrive, he added, from as far as North Carolina and California for this popular event.
The Rieger Regatta starts at Hickories Park in Owego and ends at the Nichols boat launch. Participants build their own rafts with wood, and blue 55-gallon drums and a lot of paint.
“Anything that floats is acceptable,” exclaimed Rieg.
Each year has a theme, and this year’s two-tier homemade raft will be rocking an 80’s theme. Guests spend all day on the river, and can expect a lot of music and plenty of fun.
The event is for ages 21 and older, unless accompanied by an adult. Push off will be at 9 a.m. sharp at Hickories Park.
For more information, visit their Facebook page, Rieger Regatta. You can also call Jeff Rieg for questions at (607) 765-8729.
And remember, “What happens on the river, stays on the river.”
I was on board the winning tube-class raft in 1976 and have the award on my office shelf here. The other crew was (3-wheel) Charlie, his son Jeff and I think his brother-in-law.