Lakefest: Making a splash

[Serious News]

It’s a roar that “makes the entire town shake.”

It’s the Lakefest Drag Boat Races, a three-day boat racing event in Lakeside Park and Johnson Park sponsored by the Marble Falls/ Highland Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce on May 20-22.




“You can be three miles away and still hear the boats,” said Katie Savage, Special Events Coordinator, Marble Falls Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience seeing a boat on a regular waterway going that fast.”

More than a hundred racers will be “going that fast” on Lake Marble Falls in boats ranging from jet skis to massive dragsters that can cover the quarter mile in 4.5 seconds at speeds exceeding 250 mph.

Competitors in this “Liquid Quarter Mile” boast over-the-top names like Nitro Nuts, Hydro Commando, Plum Krazy, Black Dragon, Voodoo Canoe, and Toxic Rocket. The emphasis this year is on the big machines, according to Jarrod Metzgar, Executive Director of the Chamber.

“We made it a priority to get the big boats to race in Marble Falls this season,” Metzgar said. “We will have two Top Fuel Hydros scheduled to race on Saturday and Sunday. These are the boats that make the entire town shake!”

Part of the appeal of Lakefest is its “unexpectedness.” Most visitors to Central Texas don’t associate the Hill Country with large boats roaring across large bodies of water. Fact is, the Marble Falls event is the first of eight races in the 2022 Southern Drag Boat Association circuit that includes Brady Lake, San Angelo, and Waco.

Marble Falls’ Lakefest was started in 1991 by a Chamber committee interested in bringing commerce to the picturesque Hill Country community. The event is still sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce, generating millions of dollars of business and attracting 10,000 visitors a year–more than the town’s population.

"It has proven to be a huge success,” Savage said. “The whole lake closes for this event, and this year we are the first race of the season.”

For the uninitiated, drag boat racing is simply a form of drag racing that takes place on water rather than land. The basics of drag boat racing are very similar–an acceleration race by two high-performance race boats over a quarter mile straightaway.

Racers compete in numerous categories and classes based on course length, hull design, fuel type, and propulsion method. At the top of the drag racing food chain are the Top Fuel Hydros which weigh up to two tons and generate 7000 horsepower to reach speeds of 200 mph within 660 feet.

The excitement is not limited to the water. One of the more popular aspects of Lakefest is the opening day “Show ‘N’ Shine,” when visitors and locals get up close with the boats and their drivers. This event is free and takes place at Marble Falls’ Johnson Park on Friday Night from 5-8pm.

On the grounds, guests can enjoy local food and drink, marketplace vendors, live music, and educational exhibits such as the Colorado River Alliance with its museum-quality interactive Mobile River program.

Other on-shore activities lie only a short walk away. Marble Falls Main Street is just a block from the gates, offering shops and eateries, along with a growing number of wineries and breweries within a short drive.

But the main attraction is the boats–the big, loud, splashy boats, competing for the title of fastest on the water.

“This is definitely worth getting off the couch to see a boat on regular water going that fast,” Savage said. “Just remember to bring ear plugs!”

Event Details

Lakefest Drag Boat Races return to Marble Falls on May 21-22, 2022. Races are run from 8am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday. The Show & Shine event is held on Friday from 5pm to 8pm and is free to the public.

Tickets begin at $30 per day for General Admission. Children ages 7 to 12 are $15. Pit Passes only are $5.

Top Eliminator Club Passes are available for $150 per person. It includes two-day admission, Swag Bag, exclusive access to the Top Eliminator Club & Bar, Breakfast and Lunch on both days, and a climate controlled indoors with reserved outdoor viewing area.

Discounts apply for Active Military, Seniors, and Veterans.

Tickets and information are available online at www.Marblefalls.org.

https://www.hillcountrypassport.com/...article/33177/

[MOBILEMERCMAN]

Less then 30 minutes away. Very cool place on the river. Ramp at start end cove winding thru tree covered park/pit area on finish end. Hillside like bleachers nearly entire run.
Top alcohol hydro's are awesome Run is over, engines quiet, and you hear the water falling from the long rooster.