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Field Guide To Boston
What to know about the 2024 Head of the Charles Regatta
It’s time to row hard or row home. The Head of the Charles Regatta is back this weekend, from Friday, Oct. 18 to Sunday, Oct. 20.
Over the annual three-day event, more than 11,500 athletes from 28 countries will row from Boston University’s DeWolfe Boathouse in Cambridge all the way down the Charles River to Brighton’s Herter Park. Competitors’ ages range from 10 to 92, but all share one thing in common: A love for crew.
The regatta attracts around 400,000 spectators each year. You can join in the thrill by cheering on rowers from atop the Boston University Bridge, Weeks Footbridge, Eliot Bridge and all along the riverbanks of the Charles. (Here are some tips from last year for picking the perfect spectator spot, whether you’re a shopper, foodie or true crew fan.)
At this year’s regatta, you’ll find even more local bites to eat, and you might even spot a few Olympians who competed in Paris this summer. Here’s what to know before you go.
GETTING THERE
Memorial Drive will be closed from the Cambridge Boat Club to Western Avenue from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, the two busiest days of the regatta. Storrow Drive and Soldiers Field Road, however, will be open to vehicles.
As in years past, regatta officials recommend carpooling, taking a rideshare or using public transportation to get to the regatta. On the T, it’s less than a mile to the water from both Harvard and Central stations on the Red Line. You can also catch the action from the BU Bridge, which is less than a mile’s walk from BU Central on the Green Line’s B branch. MBTA bus lines 1, 66, 71, 73, 74, 75 and 77 are also good options.
WHEN TO WATCH
Friday, Oct. 18 starts off with a light slate of eight races from 7:45 a.m. to 10:28 a.m. This is the day where some of the most seasoned rowers take to the waters for the senior veteran, grand veteran, senior master and grandmaster class singles and doubles races. You can find those boat launch times here.
Things begin to really pick up on Saturday and Sunday, with 36 races and 27 races, respectively, happening from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. You can expect college crews from Harvard, Boston College and Boston University to take to the water alongside competitors from across the globe. (Click here to search for your favorite school or club.) Boats competing in the championship fours and championship eights will hit the river on Sunday, between 12:40 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Keep your eyes peeled for last year’s fours and eights winners, Princeton and US Rowing.
Over 100 Olympians are expected to be in attendance, including a few locals who medaled this summer in Paris. There are three local Olympians competing in the regatta this year:
- Henry Hollingsworth, who won bronze as part of the US mens’ rowing team, will compete in the men’s alumni eights at 10:51 a.m. on Saturday with the Brown University Alumni crew.
- Paralympians Alex Flynn and Emilie Eldracher, who won silver this summer, will compete in the PR3 fours race at 3:41 p.m. on Saturday with US Rowing.
Also hitting the water: The Survivor Rowing Network. The breast cancer survivor group will have 88 women — in 11 boats of eight — take part in an exhibition race for the first time at the regatta on Saturday. The local chapter, We Can Row Boston, will race at 3:30 p.m.
WHAT’S ON THE MENU
If you’re coming to the regatta from Harvard Square, the Weld Exhibition at Riverbend Park along Memorial Drive is your first landing spot for food (and free gear). From there, you’ve also got the option to congregate at the FALS Bar or the Reunion Village, two of the regatta’s dining areas with drinks, a curated selection of food and more shopping. There’s a $15 admission fee for Reunion Village, which is a covered tent located on the Cambridge side of the Charles (kids under 12 get in free). There’s no cost of admission for the FALS Bar, located in Herter Park, but you, of course, must be 21+ to purchase from their selection of canned cocktails, beer and wine.
Wind your way through each of these hotspots to find tasty treats from Flour Bakery, Clover, El Jefe’s, Si Cara Pizza, Sloane’s, Pennypacker’s, Northeast of the Border and Trolley Dogs.
If you find yourself getting a bit chilly, swing by the WBUR tent. We’ll be by the Weld Boat House (971 Memorial Drive, Cambridge) at the Weld Exhibition serving up hot samples of our new coffee blend, in partnership with Flour and Fazenda. Plus, you'll have a chance to meet Morning Edition host Tiziana Dearing (and a few other folks from the station).
