Cardboard boats to sail Lake Ellyn
There will be vessels that looked like they sailed out of the Jurassic period.
Others that fly the colors of the U.S.A.
And still others that are little more than a dinghy.
But there's no telling who will sail to victory as the Lady of the Lake - or sink spectacularly as the S.S. Saturation - in the annual Lake Ellyn Cardboard Regatta on Saturday, June 27, to launch the village's annual Fourth of July celebration.
"You will get old-timers who have put in over 300 hours preparing their boat, collecting cardboard and planning their decorations throughout the year, and then others who have put in just three hours," said Mary DeFiglia, assistant superintendent of special facilities for the Glen Ellyn Park District, which hosts the boat race. "Both types have won in the past."
The regatta is the first event in Glen Ellyn's Fourth of July celebration, themed this year as "Blue, White and Red: North to South Instead." The theme was inspired by the construction that will force this year's annual parade route to run in reverse, while also shortening the route a bit.
In addition to the parade on July 4, other events will include the Freedom Four, a 4-mile run, festivities after the race and Glen Ellyn's Grand Fireworks display.
But before the oohs and ahhs of the fireworks, spectators will cheer the regatta that demands smart engineering and a little imagination to keep boats from sinking.
At its core, the regatta is simply a race of boats built to fit teams of up to eight people, made of 20 sheets of corrugated cardboard supplied by the park district. They must complete a 200-yard loop around Lake Ellyn with the boat intact and all crew members aboard at the finish line.
And while building a sturdy boat is always key, in the more than 20 years since the regatta began, style and wow-factor have also become an important part of the fun.
Teams typically deck out their boats in elaborate themes, often patriotic in an ode to Independence Day. Defiglia says several boaters this year are also planning dinosaur themes due to the popularity of the film "Jurassic World."
"When people find out about this, they often don't believe what they're hearing," Defiglia said. "They think it's just small, unmanned cardboard boats in a lake, but they don't understand that there are actually up to eight people in there and the incredible boats people create."
Teams of eight paddlers or fewer have until Friday, June 26, to register in one of several categories of competition: open youth division, ages 9 to 17; open adult division, ages 18 and older; Glen Ellyn Park District youth athletic division, youth teams ages 9 to 17 competing against other park district teams; businesses and agencies, ages 18 and older.
In conjunction with the regatta, the park district will host minnow races to raise money for its scholarship fund. Participants can purchase a minnow for $1 and the fish will be placed in small tracks of water, seeing which one passes the finish line first.
And for those cheering both the minnows and the regatta, the park district will host a Picnic in the Park, which runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lake Ellyn Park. The Glen Ellyn Volunteer Fire Department members will be the chefs of the event, which raises money for the volunteer Fourth of July committee that funds the village's annual parade and fireworks.
If you go
What: Lake Ellyn Cardboard Regatta
When: Noon Saturday, June 27
Where: Lake Ellyn Park, 645 Lenox Road, Glen Ellyn
Cost: Free for spectators, $40 to $50 per team
Info: GlenEllyn4thofJuly.org or (630) 858-2462