Route 66 Beach Festival 

Forget everything you think you know about rowing. There are no long, quiet stretches of water or distant boats gliding across the horizon. Instead, athletes sprint across the sand, leap aboard their boats, and race just feet from cheering spectators. 

That’s the kind of energy coming to Arcadia Lake, August 29-30 during the inaugural Route 66 Beach Festival, a free, family-friendly event. It’s centered around Beach Sprint Rowing, rowing’s newest discipline and an official sport for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Competitors sprint across the beach, row a short offshore course around buoys, then race back to shore before finishing on foot. 

“Beach Sprints is changing the rowing world because it’s so different,” said festival spokesperson Elizabeth Laurent. “Traditional rowing is calm and precise. Beach rowing brings a whole new excitement to the sport.” Unlike traditional rowing, Beach Sprints puts spectators in the middle of the action. Visitors can stand at the water’s edge as competitors race across the beach, push off into the water, and navigate a fast-paced course before sprinting back across the finish line. 

“It’s fun because spectators are right there where the athletes are racing,” Laurent said. “It’s immediate, firsthand action.” The festival will welcome a wide range of competitors, from Team USA athletes pursuing Olympic dreams to experienced rowers trying Beach Sprints for the first time. Even beginners can get in on the action through introductory clinics held before the races, giving newcomers the chance to learn the sport and compete during the festival. 

The festival also showcases another fast-paced water sport: dragon boat racing. Organizers also plan to feature dragon boat racing, where 10 paddlers power decorated boats across the water while keeping time with a drummer seated at the front. “It’s very visual,” Laurent said. “The boats are so colorful and the water is flying off the paddles as they race through the waves.” 

Beyond the competition, the Route 66 Beach Festival is designed as a full day at the lake. Visitors can enjoy live music, including a Saturday performance by legendary musician Dean Torrence of Jan & Dean, along with food trucks, beach games, kayaking, and Arcadia Lake’s swim beach. 

The event also highlights Oklahoma’s growing role in Olympic sports. With Beach Sprints making its Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028, the event is sanctioned by USRowing, which will also host a coaching clinic in Edmond leading up to the event. “It’s exciting for Oklahoma to get this attention from USRowing and help introduce this new sport,” Laurent said. 

Community members can also take part behind the scenes through volunteer opportunities. Some will greet athletes and guests, while others will have, perhaps, the most memorable assignment of all: standing waist-deep in the water, steadying race boats until competitors sprint aboard. 

Admission to the festival is free, with only Arcadia Lake’s $10 per vehicle entrance fee required. Whether cheering on future Olympians, trying a new sport, or simply enjoying a day at Arcadia Lake, visitors will experience one of the fastest, most spectator-friendly rowing events in the world, right here in Edmond. 

Learn more at route66beachfestival.com.