The annual Head of the Charles Regatta returns this weekend, bringing thousands of competitors and spectators for the one of the largest boat racing events in the world.
More than 12,000 rowers are expected to compete in the event, which runs from Friday morning to Sunday afternoon.
"I always like to say that the Head of the Charles is the most Boston event of the fall because you have these incredible athletes coming in and competing during what tends to be one of the most beautiful times of the year in Boston," said Tori Stevens, executive director of the Head of the Charles Regatta.
The three-day event is the largest of its kind in the world and will draw nearly 375,000 spectators, according to Stevens.
"For our athletes who come in, they always compare it to the Super Bowl of rowing and it very much is that," Stevens explained. "It's loud and it's fun with spectators hanging over the bridges."
The weather this year will be akin to football season, with forecasts predicting a cold and potentially wet weekend, with temperatures in in the low 50s.
The event this year is leaning more heavily into the entertainment experiences for spectators, with Berklee College of Music students providing live music at the finish line during the regatta.
There will also be more than 20 different food vendors and opportunities for prize giveaways.
This year's gathering will also include a celebratory event on Saturday commemorating 50 years of women's Olympic and Paralympic rowing.
"We're really trying to help celebrate and showcase those women who were trailblazers back in 1976, as well as some of our up and coming athletes who we expect to see in [the] L.A. [Olympics] in just a couple of years," Stevens said.
Ted Benford, executive director of Community Rowing, Inc., said the Head of the Charles spotlights both the sport and the Boston region. The Charles River separates Boston from Cambridge.
"I think the regatta has really taken hold over the past couple of years in capturing the community's interest in rowing and our parklands and the amazing resources of the shoreline," Benford said. "Seeing people row might inspire others to do the same, get out on the water and get some exercise."
The event will bring thousands of competitors from 32 countries with 15% of the competitors coming from outside the U.S., including Canada, the United Kingdom and China.
"I think the thing that makes this weekend so special is that it not [only] highlights rowing in Boston, but the international nature of rowing," Benford said. "How people who want to find an excuse or an opportunity to participate in the sport can see people from around the world coming to Boston to compete."
Copyright 2026 GBH News Boston