Tunnel Boat Races Returning to Bay City

Speedboat races returning to Bay City with Kansas, Verve Pipe concerts

BAY CITY, MI -- After a hiatus in 2018, speedboats will once again zip up and down the Saginaw River in Bay City.

Coming in 2019, the newly dubbed Rockin the River is presented by Real Flavors Inc. and NGK Spark Plugs F1 Powerboat Championship. The event runs Thursday, July 11, through Sunday, July 14 and includes several outdoor concerts.

The Verve Pipe and Uncle Kracker are to perform the evening of Friday, July 12, with classic rock standbys Kansas taking the stage the following night. Both shows are to take place in Wenonah Park.

This is the 31st year speedboats have raced on the Saginaw River in Bay City, exempting the 2018 season which didn't happen due to a lack of sponsors.

"Real Flavors came forward and reached out," said Mike Bacigalupo, president of River Roar, the committee of which is helping to put on the event. "They are the ones that stepped up to the plate to sponsor this event. NGK have been a sponsor of the boat races for many years and obviously wanted to be a part of it again."

The river races are to feature three classes of boats. A schedule of events is being worked on, though gates open at 5 p.m. to the Friday and Saturday night concerts.

Concert tickets are $20 for lawn seating and $40 for VIP seating, each night. Tickets for the shows are available on the State Theatre's website.

Tickets for the races are $5 per person.

Bacigalupo said the return of the speedboat races will invigorate the community.

"It's gonna revive something that was missing out of the events from last year," he said. "We're looking forward to bringing it back and having bigger and better races and more thrills for the audience."

Sponsor Real Flavors Inc. is headquartered within the Albert Kahn Historical Building at 135 Washington Ave. in Bay City and has a retail store inside City Market, 401 Center Ave. The company deals in natural food flavoring, specializing in custom flavor creation, flavor matching, CO2 extraction, and color blending.

Bay City's stretch of the Saginaw River is to host the 2019 Tall Ship Celebration the weekend following Rockin the River.


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