First ever Festival Cup combining love of sailing, concerts

Kids milk carton sail boat races, BBQ also on tap

SANDPOINT — The only problem with sailing Lake Pend Oreille on summer Thursday nights, at least during the two-week Festival at Sandpoint, is that you’re bound to miss some great music in your own back yard.

So the Sandpoint Sailing Association and the Festival at Sandpoint are teaming up for the first ever Festival Cup, moving the usual Thursday night sailing races to Tuesday while also adding some festivities.

The first Festival Cup event will be held on Tuesday, July 31, with sailing races starting around 5:30 p.m. at the Windbag Marina across from City Beach. The winner of one of the races will win two tickets to the closing night Symphony show at the Festival. The public is welcome to show up and ride along.

The following Tuesday, Aug. 7, there will be fun racing for adults and kids alike, starting at 4 p.m. at Windbag Marina. For the kids, there will be milk carton kits with sail stuff for them to assemble a boat however they so choose. Their miniature sail boats will then race in Windbag Marina.

The winners of the adult sailing race will win two free tickets to the Thursday night Greensky Bluegrass show at the Festival on Thursday night. Even better, the winner of the kids’ milk carton race will be awarded three tickets to the same show, so they can bring their parents or friends along.

There will also be a barbecue on Aug. 7, with hamburgers and hot dogs, and the public is welcome to join in the fun.

“People can come down, enjoy and get to know the club, and might get on a boat if they want,” said Barb Perusse, Vice Commodore of the Sandpoint Sailing Association. “Last week we had 15 boats out there. People are welcome to show up and ride along.”

For more information, email Perusse at “barbperusse@gmail.com” or call 208-290-2457.