Celebrate Memorial Day Weekend On The Water At Old Man Frank’s Regatta
by James Coulter
What’s a better way to celebrate Memorial Day Weekend than by spending it on the water? How about spending it on the local chain of lakes while enjoying live music performed by local bands?
Local boaters can enjoy such a fun and free Memorial Day weekend by participating in Old Man Frank’s Regatta, to be hosted on the waters of Lake Howard on Sun., May 30 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Rev up your boat and drive on out to Old Man Franks, located along the shores of scenic Lake Howard, for an afternoon of camraderie with fellow boaters and live music as performed by live musician Patrick Renney and friends. Of course, all boaters are more than welcome to pull up onto the dock and come inside to order drinks and food.
While most people would choose to travel out of town to go boating, the regatta allows locals an opportunity to enjoy a fun Sunday afternoon on the local waters of the Chain of Lakes. All are invited to come on by and have fun, provided they keep the lake clean and beautiful.
“The regatta is a good excuse for everybody in Central Florida to come out and enjoy the Chain of Lakes,” said manager Jesse Hadsock. “They can get on their boat, get an excuse to get their boats serviced and get them in the water and get everybody that option to stay local and enjoy what Central Florida has to offer rather than take a trip out of town every holiday.”
For nearly nine years, Old Man Frank’s has been drawing dozens upon dozens of vessels to their docks for their regattas. Last year saw nearly 50 to 60 boats pull up to the lakeside eatery for its Fourth of July Regatta.
The key to their success has been to promote their events locally. Their regattas have always provided an opportunity for local boaters to enjoy a fun, free time on the water locally, allowing them to appreciate their local Chain of Lakes.
“We try to promote local and cater to the local residents,” Hadsock said. “We do not try to make it a huge event with people from other countries and other states. We try to keep this a low-key event for local lake and county residents.”
Especially during these uncertain times, their regattas allow local boaters to enjoy quality time outdoors, especially after a yearlong pandemic that has required extensive lockdowns and physical distancing. After all, what better way to physically distance than on a boat?
“We want to give them opportunity to get out in the sunlight get on the boat anchor up and listen to live music,” Hadsock said. “I think people can expect to get out of it what they put into it. If everybody goes into it for a fun relaxing time, socially distanced, with entertainment in their own boat, and it really buys into the message of lake conservation and boating safety, and people can expect to have a great fun-filled day that is safe for the whole family, that is what I think people can expect from this.”
The Memorial Day Regatta will be hosted on Sun., May 30 from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Old Man Frank’s, located at 1005 S Lake Howard Dr., Winter Haven, FL 33880. For more information, visit their Facebook page or their website at: http://www.oldmanfranks.com/
