River Days is the perfect time to enjoy all the fun that the new Detroit International Riverfront has to offer.  Pure Michigan’s Fun on the Water includes:

DTE Parade of Lights

On Saturday, June 21, boaters from across the state of Michigan are invited to exhibit their decorated sailboats and powerboats in the 2nd Annual DTE Energy Parade of Lights.  Last years inaugural event was an amazing success, with nearly 40 boats parading done the Detroit River!

Organized in partnership with the Detroit Yacht Club, this spectacular display of boats will light up the Detroit River beginning at 10 p.m., so guests and spectator boats should arrive early for a great viewing position.  Trophies and first, second, and third place prizes will be awarded in three different categories.  Interested applicants can receive the application here (LINK TO APPLICATION) or by calling the Detroit Yacht Club at 313-824-1200. Applications must be completed and submitted by June 11, 2008.  

Highlander Sea

Have you ever seen a really “tall ship”?  GM River Days brings the Highlander Sea to the Detroit RiverWalk June 20-23, 2008!  Docked at Rivard Plaza near the Little Caesar’s Discovery Zone, the whole family can enjoy a FREE educational tour aboard this truly historic maritime vessel.  Visitors will explore the Pilot House & Helm, get a taste of life at sea in the galley, visit the Main Salon, and discover international code flags on the Foredeck & Main Mast.  Don’t miss this experience!

Dedicated to showcasing the marine lore of Port Huron, Michigan, and the Great Lakes region, Acheson Ventures, LLC, purchased Highlander Sea in the spring of 2002, for her role as Port Huron´s flagship ambassador. This 154 foot gaff-rigged topsail schooner was designed by W. Starling Burgess and built in 1924 in Essex, Massachusetts. Originally christened Pilot, she served 47 years as a Boston Harbor pilot ship. Highlander Sea offers opportunities for character development, teamwork, and community citizenship for the people of Port Huron, in particular its youth, through leadership and training. She sails the Great Lakes, and Eastern Seaboard, and is available for public tours, educational programs and special events.

For more information please visit http://www.achesonventures.com/

Detroit River Cruise

On Saturday June 21st, the Detroit River Cruise presented by E-Dock & Friends, will take place during GM River Days!  Take a stroll down the RiverWalk beginning at 2:30pm to see as many as 100 different boats and vessels as they file past the GM River Days Festival site. 
E-Dock & Friends is a community organization that strives to increase the awareness of boating and encourage others to get involved.  Their primary interest is enjoying the boating lifestyle and sharing the experiences of boating with family and friends, traveling the Great Lakes, and visiting the various ports in the region.

The Detroit River Cruise is open to the public for participation so sign up now, as spots are still available!  Interested boaters can sign up please by downloading the registration form here

Click Here for more information

Coast Guard Day

On Sunday June 22nd, the men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard will be bringing a variety of working boats and displays to River Days.

R/V Peter Wise Lake Guardian (EPA)

The Lake Guardian will be making a stop on its Great Lakes Tour at GM River Days on Sunday June 22nd.  The ship will be docked at GM Plaza and available for free tours.   The R/V Peter Wise Lake Guardian is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) largest Great Lakes' research and  monitoring vessel.  It is the only self-contained, non-polluting research vessel on the Great Lakes.  The R/V Peter Wise Lake Guardian, operated by the EPA’s Chicago-based Great Lakes National Program Office (GLNPO, conducts monitoring programs that sample the water, aquatic life, sediments, and air in order to assess the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem by using state-of-the-art data collection techniques and instruments during the biannual spring and summer surveys.  It is also used to support research activities conducted by Federal, State, and, local agencies, and universities. The R/V Peter Wise Lake Guardian has been operating on the waters of the Great Lakes for the past 12 years.  The ship is offshore, collecting data, for approximately 7 months a year.  More informaiton can be found at www.epa.gov

Diamond Jack's Boat Tours

Diamond Jacks River Tours will be docked at the General Motors Plaza Friday and Saturday during River Days!  On Sunday tours will take off from Festivalgoers will be able to take 1-hour tours and experience the sights along the newly refurbished RiverWalk from the Detroit River.  These tours will be presented at a discounted rate, with $10 tickets (regularly $15) for adults, and $5 tickets (regularly $11) for children.  Children under 5 years of age are free with an adult. Tour schedule to come. Group reservations are NOT available.  All passengers will board on a first come first served basis.  Other discounts such as AAA, AARP will NOT apply.   More information on Diamond Jack’s River Tours can be found at www.diamondjack.com.

Jet Ski demonstrations

Typhoon Tommy Nuttall and the Typhoon Ski Freestyle Team will put on exciting shows on Friday, June 20 through Sunday, June 23, featuring some of the top freestyle ski performers in the industry, including:  former Sea World performers Typhoon Tommy and Rambo Rose Nuttall, Former national champions Joe Eckert and Mike Hoffman, multi-talented Jeff Marsh, Ken “nemo” Balough, Chad Cummings, Tom Timm, Corey Gibson, Jason Burns, and many others. 

Don’t miss highflying freestyle jumping, underwater dives and crowd interactions.  There will be lots of other action between shows that will include hula hoop, poster and t-shirt signings, lifejacket safety demos and pictures with the skiers.

Detroit Open Bass Fishing Tournament

The 2nd Annual Detroit Open Bass Fishing Tournament will take place on Saturday, June 21.  Working with Tracker Marine and Mercury Outboards, the GM River Days Festival and the National Bass Anglers Association have secured this year’s guaranteed first place prize for the Detroit River Open- a brand new Tracker PT 190 boat with a 115 HP Mercury Optimax outboard. This prize package is valued at over $20,000 which makes the Detroit River Open one of the highest payback tournaments for bass anglers in the mid-west this year. 

In addition to giving away thousands in cash and prizes, two lucky anglers will win a free co–angler entry into the upcoming BFL event on Lake St Clair. This special drawing will take place at the NBAA stage immediately following weigh in. Anglers must be present at weigh-in to win.

Interested bass fisherman can register for the tournament at www.nbaa-bass.com.

Detroit’s Riverfront and River features great wildlife and fishing, and the Detroit Open will highlight these great attributes.  Detroit will be treated to an amazing launch of boats, which will take place at 8am on June 21 at Tricentennial Park, and festival guests will be party to a fishing weigh in on Festival grounds near Rivard Park, which will take place on Saturday at 5pm.

This year’s entry fee is $150.00 and teams that sign up on or before June 1st are entered in a drawing for the early boat numbers. Registration and take off will take place on St. Jean’s Ramp. . 

Pure Michigan Fun on the Water

• Jet Skis Daily
• DTE Energy Parade of Lights, Saturday at 10:05pm
• Detroit River Cruise Saturday at 2pm
• Diamond Jack Boat Tours at GM Plaza on Friday at Saturday and own dock on Sunday with Discounted River Tours
• Gold Cup Boat Exhibitions and Display at GM Plaza Friday and Saturday 4pm-8pm
• Tall Ships at Rivard Plaza on Friday through Monday 24-7
• Lake Guardian Sunday on GM Plaza
• Coast Guard Days on Sunday at GM Plaza and Rivard Plaza
• Earth Voyager, location and display uncertain at this time, maybe Rivard on Monday
• Detroit Fireboat Exhibitions TBA

GM PLAZA TENTATIVE BOAT DOCKING SCHEDULE

-Friday-
Diamond Jacks
Boat Race Exhibit

-Saturday-
Diamond Jacks
Boat Race Exhibit

-Sunday-
Lake Guardian
One Coast Guard Vessel

-Monday-
Clear

RIVARD PLAZA TENTATIVE BOAT DOCKING SCHEDULE

-Friday-
Tall Ship
Infinity

-Saturday-
Tall Ship
Earth Voyager

-Sunday-
Tall Ship
Coast Guard Vessel

-Monday-
Tall Ship
Earth Voayger