This historic regatta is the oldest continuing sporting event in North America. The event continues to draw in excess of 50,000 spectators each year and is a major focal point of summer activities in the St. John's area.
For over 187 years the Royal St. John's Regatta has been held at Quidi Vidi Lake in the heart of the east end of St. John's, Newfoundland.
The Holiday is held on the First Wednesday in August - Weather permitting - with the decision made early that morning (if not it "goes" the next day). 
The day is a civic holiday for the entire St. John's area and is a full day of Fixed Seat Rowing Races. Our Fixed seat rowing shells are unique - being six person + coxswain and our races start and finish at the same spot - requiring all the crews to "turn the buoys" at the halfway point of the race. A crew can be 6 men or 6 women + coxswain and range in age from 14 to senior citizens.
The shores of beautiful Quidi Vidi Lake are totally encircled by booths and concessions offering all manner of fun, food and games of chance or games of skill. Throughout the day the crowds can reach as high as 40-50 thousand people as the citizens of St. John's and all our visitors enjoy a "Day at the Races"
Many local historians believe that rowing and sailing competitions between the crews from various ships in the harbour and the local populous pre-date any of the records we have been able to verify. St. John's, with its magnificently sheltered harbour, had become a growing centre of activity, and early settlement, as far back as early 1700's. The fishing and trading season generally lasted from May to September. this gave the transient amd local population only a few months to form summer friendships and raise a challange to each other's sailing and rowing skills. The boat racing, which later became our Regatta, came into existance as a natural form of friendly competition among a seafaring people.
Visit the official website http://www.stjohnsregatta.org/
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