It’s when the first raft disintegrates; dumping its cargo of flamboyantly-costumed rowers unceremoniously into the tea-tinted water of the Chester River, that you know for sure this isn’t your grandmother’s tea party. The thronging crowd along the shoreline roars in support, cheering the homemade rafts as they smoke, wobble, paddle, perambulate, and yes, even, fall apart, along the length of their route out from Wilmer Park, around a buoy, and back again to the soft mud of the shoreline.
Photo courtesy of chestertownteaparty.org
Shoes, wigs, and even a few rogue beer cans float on the river’s surface, while some rafts sink and others row to victory. All for the promise and bragging rights of a trophy proclaiming their status as “Fabulous Flotsam,” or to achieve the distinction of “Da Vinci,” “Van Gogh,” or the “Junior Cup,” raft race contenders vie for glory. Greatness can be earned through spectacular failure as “the Flop” or through overall prowess as winners of coveted (and elusive) “Tea Cup.”
Raft Race 2012 featured a life-sized replica of the Delorean from Back to the Future called (of course), “Raft to the Future.” Author’s husband as Marty McFly, author’s sister as his time-travelling girlfriend, Jennifer.
It’s Raft Race- an annual event that truly reflects Chestertown’s longstanding history since the 18th century as a maritime refuge for eccentric, irreverent and fun-loving folk. It’s simply one of the best things, and also one of the oddest things, that Chestertonians do.
Photo courtesy of bstar at flickr.com
Held on the Sunday of Tea Party weekend each year (Memorial Day weekend to you), the premise is simple: build a raft of non-nautical materials that can carry at least four people. No engines, no boat parts, and at least half of the competitor’s bodies must be above the water. A few other safety concerns are ticked off, and what you now have are blank canvases for artistic expression, engineering marvels, and personal quirks that seem more akin to Burning Man than the Chesapeake tidewater.
Photo courtesy of chestertownteaparty.org
Rafts from the past have been built to look like full-sized giraffes with safari guides inside, the A-Team with a replica of their GMC Vendura Van (complete with mohawks and medallions), a giant butterfly, a pirate ship overtaken in a male ballerina mutiny, and those were just the ones that floated. Many more have succumbed to the yoo-hoo-colored waves of the Chester due to faulty construction, half-baked propulsion, or hubristic flights of awkward and unwieldy fancy. But in the end, everyone who enters the raft race wins, even if they were passed over for a trophy. It’s an event that’s about embracing the kids and adults that participate, supporting your local community, and letting your freak flag fly high and proud. It’s just enough to make a person patriotic.
2012 winners of the Tea Cup celebrate their victory.
This year’s Raft Race will be held Sunday, May 26th, 2013. Want to see the spectacle with your own two eyes? Check out the schedule for Chestertown’s Tea Party weekend events here: http://www.chestertownteaparty.org/?page_id=131
