For a century, the boat races at the Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Spirit of Detroit HydroFest in Detroit have been a must-see. So come celebrate the 102nd annual festival, Aug. 24-26, 2018.
Friday, the test races are tentatively set to start at 1 p.m. and go all day with different races in the rotation. The races officially begin at 10:45 a.m. Saturday with a Vintage Unlimited race and then a Vintage Inboard race at 11 a.m. An autograph session follows these races at 11:20 a.m.
The races start back up with an opening ceremony at noon followed by GP 1A, GP 1B and GP 1C races. Saturday’s races continue throughout the day and close out at 4:40 p.m. Sundays races start at 10:40 a.m. and run until 4:55 p.m. Test races start as early as 8:30 a.m.
There will also be plenty of food and souvenirs for sale for this memorable event, so check those out as well. And don’t forget to watch the live performances by local acts like Leaving Lifted and Rock and Roll Prep School.
General admission to the races is $10, grandstand seats are available for $50 in advance only, pit passes and VIP seating are available for additional charges. Parking fees apply and range from $15-$30/daily to $55-$80/weekend passes.
Keep in mind that even though it’s summer, being by the water makes it a few degrees cooler. You may want to pack a light jacket and sunscreen or, if you feel like staying the whole weekend, at least pack it and decide if you need it when heading out.
For more information on the 2018 Spirit of Detroit HydroFest – or for details on other metro Detroit festivals in August and family fun things to do this weekend – visit the Metro Parent calendar.
This post was originally published in 2015 and is updated regularly.
