Events on the Charles

While the Charles River is the setting for many activities from spring through summer, you may enjoy taking part in the following events in September and October as we did recently:

Riversing

On a beautiful Sunday September afternoon at summer’s end, a large, diverse crowd at the Weeks Footbridge awaited the arrival of Revelers* parading from Harvard Square, playing varied instruments, dancing, and singing in celebration of the Autumnal Equinox. Brightly garbed, some dressed as magical characters, others displaying over-sized butterflies and flowers, these performers heralded the beginning of the annual autumn Riversing, inviting our waiting group to join in the celebration with free copies of the often-heard songs from various cultures.

This event on the Charles, initiated by the Charles River Conservancy in 2004, in collaboration with the Cambridge-based Revels*, has been attracting thousands from Boston, Cambridge, and nearby towns to participate in this sing-along and performance in the Charles River parklands.

*John Langstaff, baritone singer, recording artist, and teacher in both England and in this country, formed the non-profit organization the Revels in 1971 to celebrate Christmas and the Winter Solstice, performing in the Sanders Theater on the Harvard campus. The members now perform many other cultural events as well, including May Day and the fall Equinox. Professional and amateur singers, actors, musicians, and dancers, sometimes with audience participation, bring traditions to life that sometimes suggest 16^th century English traditions.

Regatta

Then during the weekend of October 22-23, crowds of participants and viewers from around the world converged on the banks of the Charles in Cambridge and Boston for the annual Head of the Charles, a two-day rowing competition where individuals and teams with their lean, lightweight shells race against the clock and each other. (“Head of the Charles” describes the three-mile course length from the BU Bridge to the finish line, a half-mile south of the Elliot Bridge.) We were there on Saturday, a beautiful blue-sky day with a light, cool breeze. The excitement in the air was palpable.

We parked in Watertown and rode our bikes along the river on the Boston side then walked along with the crowds to a great viewing location on the Eliot Bridge. We were waiting for a good friend of ours to appear in his four-man crew with the senior division so that we could cheer him on. He had given us his start time that morning so we knew when to start watching. He and his crew placed first in one of the divisions which we were able to find out when we went to a small tent at the finish line on the Boston side.

The Cambridge Charles River regatta began in 1965 and takes place during the third full weekend in October, bringing together thousands of participants from schools, colleges, and rowing clubs, following the model of London’s Head of the River race on the Thames every March.

Spectators can view the race from the grassy banks of Riverbend Park along Memorial Drive and several other vantage points, including the Weeks Footbridge, the Western Avenue, the Larz Anderson, and the Elliot Bridges. (Memorial Drive is closed to vehicular traffic by the DCR from the first Sunday in April until the second Sunday in November).

Racing on the Charles River began in 1852 when Harvard and Yale met for the first intercollegiate contest. Then other colleges established rowing programs along the river, and in 1869, a non-profit community of rowers from all walks of life, established the Riverside Boat Club in Cambridge. The first public boat club established in Boston is Community Rowing in Brighton, a public rowing club that offers “rowing for all,” founded in 1985, is a “nonprofit organization dedicated to the belief that the sport of rowing provides unique opportunities to promote personal and community growth through teamwork, discipline, and physical fitness.”

As we move into Spring there will be many more events to follow. Also look for my book Exploring the Charles River at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.