Roughly seven miles long, the race course starts at the foot of the Great Falls and ends at the Durham Public Boat Launch. NorthEast Charter & Tour Co. will provide free shuttle service back to Auburn.

The Androscoggin Land Trust will present its second annual Great Falls Boats ’n’ Brews River Race on Saturday, June 24. This amateur competitive river race will begin at 9 a.m. just below the Great Falls. Race day registration and check-in will be at Festival Plaza from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., and paddlers will enter the water at the Auburn Public Boat Launch behind Festival Plaza.

The race course is roughly seven miles long and will take paddlers through downtown Lewiston with its historic canals, past the confluence with the Little Androscoggin River, and through Dresser Rips, which are Class II or Class III rapids, depending on water levels. The race will finish at the Durham Public Boat Launch on Route 136. NorthEast Charter & Tour Co. will provide free shuttle service from the Durham Public Boat Launch back to Festival Plaza, where an awards ceremony will take place around 11 a.m.

Entry fees are $30 for a single canoe or kayak and $40 for a double canoe or kayak. Thanks to Baxter Brewing, registrants who are over 21 can request a 15% discount code to buy tickets for the Great Falls Brewfest, taking place Saturday afternoon.

The first Boats ’n’ Brews River Race last year was celebrated by over 60 paddlers who launched 50 canoes and kayaks onto the Androscoggin River. The public is invited to cheer the participants on! The start of the race can be viewed from Simard-Payne Railroad and Bonney Parks in Lewiston and Auburn. The race can also be viewed along sections of Lincoln Street in Lewiston and River Road (Rt. 136) in Auburn. For more information or to register, call 782-2302 or visit https://androscogginlandtrust.org.

The Androscoggin Land Trust is a membership-supported organization that, by promoting the stewardship of a network of public and privately owned lands, protects over 5,000 acres of important natural areas and traditional landscapes through nineteen towns in the Androscoggin watershed, from Jay to Lisbon.