National championship boat racing at Riverbration in Kittanning Aug. 20-22

Speedboats will hit 90 mph or more as they slice through the Allegheny River for national championship boat races during Riverbration, Aug. 20-22 at Kittanning Riverfront Park.

Sponsored by the Fraternal Order of Eagles Post 896, the free public riverside event is expected to draw boat racers from across the country and more than 5,000 visitors.

“Other than downtown Pittsburgh, where else are you going to go to see championship racing?” said Lynda Pozzuto, executive director of Alle Kiski Strong Chamber and organizer of Riverbration. “In Kittanning, you are right there,” she said. “Bring your lawn chair.”

Food booths, vendors and events will fill the riverfront park, Pozzuto said.

Free children’s activities will include face painting, sidewalk chalk art, foam party, kids crafts and a cookie decorating contest. While most of the events are free, there are events with fees, including the bull ride and train ride.

Highlights include a driver’s school course for $50 on Friday to learn to drive a powerboat. Registration via Riverbration’s Facebook page is required because of limited spaces.

The sanctioned boating competition will attract more than 150 racers from throughout the country, Canada and Mexico, Pozzuto said.

Over the years, the Kittanning Riverfront has become a popular destination for the boat racing community. The Kittanning portion of the Allegheny River has been recognized as one of the top sites for boat racing in the country by the American Power Boat Association.

“The Allegheny River is a really pretty sight, and in Kittanning, it’s wide enough to have room to race. And the Kittanning Riverfront Park lends itself for people to easily watch the races,” said Mary Williams, a member of the board of governors of the Three Rivers Outboard Racing Association based in Cleveland, which covers eastern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.

Compared with the Pittsburgh Regatta, the Kittanning boat races are a smaller event, Williams said. “It’s grassroots boat racing, but it’s a more intimate setting,” she said. “The public can walk close to the boats and talk to the racers.”