General Clinton Canoe Regatta to make post-COVID return

May 23—The General Clinton Canoe Regatta has been shortened by one day this year and will be held May 27 through 29 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This will be the 60th year canoeists will race down the Susquehanna River from several different starting points from Cooperstown to Sidney, in several different races before they finish at the General Clinton Park in Bainbridge. The race was canceled in 2020, but was held virtually in 2021, regatta Chair John Harmon said. Forty boats and 80 racers participated in the virtual race last year, he said. Racers received global positioning system trackers to track their whereabouts on the river to make sure they paddled the whole 70-mile course, he said.

Harmon said the festival was condensed to three days this year for a few reasons. He said participants in the 70-mile race, which was previously held on Memorial Day, Monday, asked for their race to be moved to Sunday, so they had more travel time to get home during the holiday weekend. "More than half of the racers come from out of state and from Canada," he said. "They said it was hard to race and drive home the same day."

Another reason the group decided to shorten it by one day was a lack of volunteers. "It's gotten so hard to get volunteers, so we're scaling back," he said.

Harmon said he started volunteering on the committee 20 years ago when the volunteers, who had run the regatta for 10 years, said at the time said they couldn't do it anymore. "The Bainbridge Chamber of Commerce held a meeting and 40 to 50 residents showed up," he said. "I tagged along and volunteered. It's good they saved it."

The chamber still sponsors the event. Harmon said he has been chair of the committee for 13 years, and said his tenure is about up. "I've done my duty. It's time to hand it off to someone else," he said.

The regatta brings more than 1,000 canoe racers and many more spectators to the region, a media release said. "It's so good for the local economy," Harmon said. "It brings people from all over the United States and Canada to the area."

The 70-mile race is the first leg of the Triple Crown of Canoe Racing, the release said. The other two legs are along the AuSable River in Northern Michigan and along the St. Maurice River in Quebec. The race will begin at Brookwood Point at 6000 State Highway 80, two miles north of Cooperstown, the release said. People can view the racers along the Susquehanna River at public parks and public fishing spots.

Harmon said fewer younger people are participating in the sport and the average age of the marathon racers is older than 40. However, the highlight of Friday night is the Generation Gap Race where pro racers and youth compete in a race from Sidney to Bainbridge, he said.

Another feature on Friday is the fifth annual Taste of Regatta, sponsored Pine Ridge Grocery, the release said. Many local wineries, breweries, restaurants and food trucks will feature their products. At 6 p.m., local singers Judy Pitel, Madison Nack and Olivia Hawkins will take the stage, followed by Aric McKown, an Elvis Presley tribute artist.

Saturday is kids day, with a clown making balloon animals, magician and puppet shows and a bike raffle at 6 p.m., where one boy's bike and one girl's bike will be given away, he said. New this year is a $25 wristband to ride the amusement rides, set up by Main Event Amusements from Syracuse, all day, Harmon said. "It's for all day, not two shifts like previous years," he said.

Also on Saturday is the Hall of Fame Induction ceremony at 1 p.m. Harmon will be inducted along with Mike Fremont, Andy Triebold, Bob Vincent, John Young and Ed Hromada.

"It's a little overwhelming," Harmon said of his induction.

The Annual Dan Elwood 5k Run and Tracy Richmond Banks 1 Mile Walk for Hospice will take place at 9 a.m. Saturday, sponsored by the Bainbridge-Guilford Class of 1980, the release said. In addition, the General Clinton Clash Wrestling tournament, in memory of Gary Seymour, will start at 9 a.m. This year, the event will take entries on the day of the event, with signups starting at 8 a.m. Also on Saturday is the chair auction at 5 p.m. Artists from the Jericho Arts Council decorated Adirondack chairs made out of canoe paddles. Starting at 6 p.m. there will be live music by Nate Gross and the Beadle Brothers.

In addition to the 70-mile race, there will be a music festival on Sunday beginning at 1 p.m., Harmon said. Sundown, Woodshed Profits and Wreckless Marci will perform, the release said.

There will be a fireworks displays Saturday and Sunday nights, the release said. There will also be food as well as a large craft and flea market that will be open all weekend.

Admission to the park is $10 per carload Saturday and Sunday. Friday parking admission is free, compliments of Sidney Federal Credit Union.

Information on directions, hours, event info, race entries, and any other information is available at www.canoeregatta.org or on Facebook at https://tinyurl.com/445266db.

Vicky Klukkert, staff writer, can be reached at vklukkert@thedailystar.com or 607-441-7221. Follow her @DS_VickyK on Twitter.