Mild weather, no COVID restrictions bring out tens of thousands to Tri-City Water Follies
The 2023 Water Follies Columbia Cup and STCU Over the River Air Show wrapped up Sunday as tens of thousands came out to the Columbia River to watch championship hydroplanes race.
Tents lined the river in Columbia Park in Kennewick and at Wade Park in Pasco, Wash. Attendees watched from the boats, inflatables and the rocky shores of the Columbia, and swarmed the waters during the final races of the H1 unlimited hydroplane series.
Water Follies Board President elect Nathan Craghill said it will take some time to determine how many tickets were sold this year, but he estimates about 60,000 turned out on the two sides of the river during the three-day event.
“It seemed like it went really well. We had a lot more boats on the water, a lot more racing, which was nice for the fans,” he said. “The vendors seemed to do really well this year.”
Attendance appeared to be the best since 2019, he said.
A combination of good weather, a new online ticketing system, no COVID restrictions and no concurrent events, like the Watershed Country Music Festival, likely helped boost attendance.
Battalion Chief Mike Barnett, with the Kennewick Fire Department, said incident command reported eight patient contacts and transported two individuals to the hospital for non-life-threatening injuries over the weekend.
The incidents were on Saturday and Sunday, the event’s busiest days.
Most injuries were minor medical issues or falls. No serious injuries were reported.
“There’s been less than normal contacts and I think that’s definitely because of the weather,” Barnett said a few hours before the races finished.
The Tri-Cities hit record-setting high temperatures last year during the 2022 Columbia Cup. Temperatures peaked at 96 degrees this year.
Kennewick police Commander Christian Walters said there were very few calls for their assistance — mostly for minor disturbances and trespassing — and no arrests were made in the park.
“I don’t know what the attendance numbers are, but the crowd has been great. They’re here to have a good time and a safe time, and we truly appreciate that,” he said, adding later, “It’s been a great weekend.”
Pasco police Sgt. Tom Groom said they received no calls for service at Wade Park. Aside for a few minor disturbances, Groom characterized the weekend as “pretty low key.”
