CHESTERTOWN –– Instead of the simple sails and masts that make up a typical waterfront view from Wilmer Park, inflatable palm trees, face-painted mimes and a plywood Cinderella carriage floated along the Chester River as the creative, locally loved culminating activity of this year’s Chestertown Tea Party Festival.
Though it was an overcast afternoon for the raft race on Sunday, May 24, rafters and spectators enjoyed relief from the rain that marked most of the festival weekend.
The rules of the race outlined that functional nautical parts, including motors and paddles, as well as boats are prohibited.
All rafts must be made by hand.
Each raft must carry at least four passengers, but there is no maximum. Rafters must have at least half of their body above the water while propelling their raft.
There are various safety protocols, including that participants wear life jackets and shoes.
The course starts and finishes at the dock off of the Washington College boathouse, a loop in front of the pavilion in Wilmer Park.
There were about 10 entries in this year’s race, which was judged by Chestertown Mayor Meghan Efland, Ford Schumann, Erin Heckles, Leslie Raimond, Tea Party parade grand marshal LaMonte Cooke, Pam Duke, Michelle Kelmartin and Bob Ramsey.
Efland and other festival organizers and attendees said they believed the weather kept the crowd local and familiar, as compared to the larger “touristy’ group the day before.
The Tea Cup was awarded to the “Captains Log” team of Pete Fortenbaugh, Chris Walmsley, Georgia Rickloff, Zack Dulmage and Paul Cambardella for their raft with “the best synthesis of creativity, engineering and speed” — chosen from the first five place-finishers.
“Captain’s Log” was the race winner.
In other categories, “A FRIENDSgers Assemble” with captain Henry Mann won the Junior Cup using the same criteria as the Tea Cup, but in the 15-and-younger division.
For having a raft “more likely to cause a spectacle than win the race,” the Tommy Divilio-led “Kind of a Big Dill” team received the Fabulous Flotsam Award.
Other winners are listed here.
The DaVinci Award: “Type B Moms Go with the Flow” with captain Katie Hughes, for the raft with the most unusual form of locomotion.
The Van Gogh Award: “Tea-Ki Bar” with captain Ryan Van Poperingen, for the most artistic raft.
The Flop Award: “Last Ditch Effort” with captain Gavin McCloske, for the most impressive failure.
The Congressional Award: “Silent But Deadly” with captain Parker Hudson, for the raft with the best bribe to the judges.
For more information about the raft race and all things related to the Chestertown Tea Party Festival, see www.chestertownteaparty.org/.
