SARANAC LAKE — Grab your life preservers and your cardboard and make your way to Saranac Lake on Aug. 29.
Play ADK and Adirondack Lakes and Trails Outfitters (ALTO) are hosting the Corrugated Cup Cardboard Boat Race at Riverfront Park. It presents a day of fun for the entire family while holding a family-friendly fundraiser.
Kaet O’Brien, Director of Operations for Play ADK, called the event ‘super silly.’
“Like all the awards are silly,” she said “There’s first place for every category, but mostly they’re just goofy awards, like most spectacular sink, or most crew members aboard. There’s oh, like best dressed. They’re all just goofy.”
According to playadk.org/cardboard : the awards include Best in Show, Most Lake-worthy, Best Costume, Cardboard Crusader, S.S. Minimalist, Titanic Award and more.
The event is exactly what one would think it is – a cardboard boat race. It tests one’s creativity in boat design, layout and theme to carry the day to victory or glorious sinkage.
As part of Celebrate Paddling in Saranac Lake, this event is supported by local outfitters, paddling organizations and guides. In addition to ALTO, we are grateful for the support from the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT), Guide ADK, St. Regis Canoe Outfitters (SRCO) and GRBmax.
O’Brien said there are opportunities to build boats at the event, but the best ones are built before at home.
“You can pre-build your boat, and so some people come with their boat already built, and those ones honestly usually fare the best in the water,” she said. “But some people build their boats on the day of.. It starts at 10 a.m. and goes till 2p.m. We provide things like cardboard, cutting materials, and paint and stuff like that. So if anyone wants to show up the day of and build a boat, they’re more than welcome to do that.”
Sponsors for the event are Peak 47 CrossFit and Rivertrail Brewworks which are financial sponsors and Duff’s Dumpsters that provides a dumpster for after the event and also help gather cardboard for building materials.
Currently, there is no cut off and people can pre-register on playadk.org/cardboard or register on the day of the event. Cost is $25 per racer with all proceeds going to Play ADK’s Clubhouse, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary.
“We’ve been providing free programming for young kids and families for 5 years at The Clubhouse while we build the museum,” O’Brien said. “The Clubhouse relies on small fundraising events like this, program grants, visitor donations, and business sponsors to keep it free and accessible to everyone.”
O’Brien was referring to the Children’s Museum Play ADK is building in Saranac Lake, at the warehouse and large industrial site on Depot Steet, into a 15-000 square foot museum. It will feature interactive and inclusive indoor and outdoor play spaces, an integrated family resource center and more. Play ADK hopes to be a cornerstone for families across the Tri-Lakes region and beyond.
From kids’ races to teens and finally adult races there’s fun for everyone at the cardboard boat races. Play ADK sets a tent up for a full day of festivities allowing people to sign up, build and race one another.
“It’s just like the silliest, funniest event,” O’Brien said. ”Last year, there were two kids that built a pickle boat out of cardboard, and they called it ‘Big Dill’. And then there was a team of younger women that had like a ’90s theme boat that was Saved by the Bell, and they had like they dressed up all in ’90s outfits.
“We’re like hanging out and helping people build their boats, and kind of documenting the day and sharing it on social media, and I just don’t know. It’s definitely just fun.”