Come aboard!
Register Your Raft
Raft registration is only $100 per team and guarantees millions of gallons of team building fun! It only takes a few minutes to register online, but the memories you make on the river will last a lifetime. Get your team and your ship together and paddle like it’s 1999!
Watch ‘em Float
Come together with the community on our Rock River’s shore Sunday, July 27th and watch the parade of rafts, share some oohs and ahhs and laughs and sunshine. The historic Rock River Anything That Floats Race is sure to be a highlight of your summer.
Volunteer
The Rock River Anything That Floats Race is a 100% volunteer effort and we’re always looking for more hands on deck to do all kinds of things on Race Day. Want to help? Come on aboard! We’d love to have you join us.
Watch Race Action.
From grainy old footage from years gone by to crisper video of modern day races, we have it all - and it's all fun to view. From TV spots to an inspiring documentary short about a team of high school students creating the "Spirit of Survival," 2019’s People’s Choice-winning Viking ship raft, there’s plenty of action and inspiration for teams looking for ideas of what to build this year. Enjoy!
History
On a cold January night in 1976, a local radio personality and a British gentleman met at the Sweden House bar and dreamt up the original raft race concept over cocktails. The radio personality mentioned he’d been challenged by his boss to create a 1976 Bicentennial Fourth of July promotion for the community - and complained he just didn’t know what to do. Read the rest of the story here!
Just The Facts.
Click here for everything you need to know, from race rules to how to register, to tried-and-true raft-building methods to a race schedule and more.
AFTER A 3 YEAR HIATUS, RRATFR WAS BACK IN THE SADDLE. Y'ALL DIDN'T MISS A STROKE.
From Barbie Boats to the Mario Brothers to pirate ships, smiles returned to the shores of the Rock River while supporting the Rockford Fourth of July Civic Committee, Rockford Park District, Loves Park Ski Broncs, and Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful. FLOAT ON!
Release The Quackin’!
Ready, Aim, Duck! We have again decided to forgo the traditional Duck Drop with a fun and festive alternative that will see participants (like YOU) firing ducks from a human-powered slingshot on the Prairie Street Brewing Co. docks to a floating target in the middle of the Rock River. Nail the target, win a prize! It's that simple and it's that fun. Release the quackin' has been a big, ummm, HIT with kids of all ages since we first launched in 2021. So, let's get quackin'! Join us on Race Day, July 27th from Noon 'til 3:00pm. Ducks are $5 each or $20 for five.
