The 17th-annual Floatzilla, presented by River Action, is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 15, which closes the Mississippi River to commercial traffic from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and welcomes recreational boaters.
Floatzilla launched in 2010 to bring attention to Quad Cities water trails, which has inspired and driven cities, counties and citizens to “work for clean water and to build more access to the region’s rivers,” River Action executive director Kathy Wine said Tuesday, July 14.
The Quad Cities’ largest paddling event on the river typically attracts about 1,400 boaters (with their record being 1,700 in 2021), Wine said, noting they see participants from up to 17 states, with most from Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota.
“We have noticed that more people through the years and we have a lot of repeat paddlers, are interested in the longer paddle as they get more experience,” she said Tuesday at the event site, Lake Potter in Rock Island. “And so we expect the most to be from the upper pool.”
“We are really pleased with the response the Arsenal has at their rec center for Floatzilla,” Wine said. “They not only put the information up on their signs on the island, but then they have purchased more kayaks than ever before, and they— because they rent them out and they want to see people using them. All promoting paddling on the Mississippi.”
The world record for most canoes and kayaks at one time was set in 2013, at the Suttons Bay Floatilla in Michigan, which counted 2,099 vessels.
The earlier you can launch, the better off you will be, Floatzilla organizers say. This year’s eight launch sites and times are:
- Illiniwek Park (Dam to Dam Race Only) - 836 State St., Hampton, IL | 10 miles | Launch at 9:30 a.m. and 9:40 a.m.
- Empire Park - IL 84 & River Rd., East Moline, IL | 11 miles | 4 hr | Launch 8-9:30 a.m.
- Leach Park - 100 12th St., Bettendorf, IA | 6.5 miles | 3.5 hr | Launch 8-11 a.m.
- Bass St. YMCA - 1701 1st Ave., Moline, IL | 6.5 miles | 3 hr | Launch 8-11 a.m.
- Lindsay Park - 902 Mound St., Davenport, IA | 5 miles | 2.5 hr | Launch 8-11 a.m.
- Marquette St. - 473 S Marquette St., Davenport, IA | 3 miles | 1 hr | Launch 10 a.m.-noon
- Credit Island - W River Dr. & Credit Island Lane, Davenport | .5 miles | .5 hr | Launch 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
- Lake Potter - 31st Ave. & IL 92, Rock Island, IL | Lake paddling only, no river
The commemorative group “floatilla” photo for the souvenir poster and to count the number of boats assembled will be taken at 1:30 p.m., and participants should arrive no later than 1:15 p.m.
Jeff Leonard, launch captain coordinator, said Tuesday that the busiest launch site usually is Leach Park, Bettendorf, with about 500 boaters.
There are three launches that don’t go through the locks – at Bass Street Landing, Moline, and at Marquette and Credit Island in Davenport. “If you're using a stand-up paddleboard, you have to launch at one of the other launches because they do not allow sit-on or stand-up paddleboards in the lock,” he said.
Kathy Wine said “locking through is one of the most fun parts of it because they haven't done it before or haven't seen a lock operate as it does.”
After the group photo, buses are available that run from Lake Potter back to the launch sites, and people can store their boats on the lake.
“We save those boats that are in a secured area on the side of the lake until the boater comes back, picks up his boat,” Wine said. “We watch every boat, match everybody's wristband to the band that's on the boat, make sure everybody gets the right boat back. So yeah, we have all these safe launches, and that's the whole purpose of Floatzilla -- to get people on the river and learning about the value of our Mississippi River waterway and its tributaries like the Rock River and so on.”
There is a shuttle bus system in place to transport paddlers back to their vehicles. The shuttles will begin boarding at Sunset Park after the group photo and shuttle you back to your parking lot, running from 2-4:30 p.m. You can then drive your vehicle back to your boat to claim it.
Tom Bolton, who is safety director for Floatzilla, said everyone needs a life jacket and ensure a kayak that fits them, with drain plugs.
“So if you weigh 170 pounds and your kayak says its weight limit is 120 capacity, you need a bigger kayak,” he said. “Some kayaks have plugs in them. You need to bring the plugs for those kayaks. You need a paddle. Preferably a double-ended kayak paddle, a whole lot easier to paddle kayak with. A bailer can be as simple as a cup, half-gallon water bottle, top cut off, and you have an actual handle. You need a hat, keep the sun off of you, sunscreen, whistle, and drinking water, keep hydrated.
"More and more sunscreen. You're not allowed to tow another vessel, and if you're bringing a child to go in the kayak with you, you need a 2-person kayak," Bolton said. "Kayaks are usually rated for one person or two person. And the last thing you gotta do is bring a smile on your face so you can have fun.”
“Tom is a rock star,” Wine said. “I'm so pleased to have him heading up this crew of people. It's just fantastic.”
This year’s Floatzilla will have a new boat decorating contest (sponsored by Active Endeavors), the second-annual boat races and 1,000 rubber ducks dropped from a crane (for the second year), with prizes from random ducks chosen. They will have a fishing tournament on Friday night, Aug. 14 from 4-7 p.m. at the packet pickup down at Credit Island.
The Floatzillapalooza schedule is:
- Food Trucks - 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Rubber Duck Hunt - 12:30 p.m.
- Live Music by The Funktastic 5 - 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
- Group Photo - 1:30 p.m.
- Shuttle Bus Service - 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
Friday, August 14th - Credit Island, Davenport
- Packet Pickup – 4-7 p.m. at Credit Island Lodge
- Outdoor Expo & Canoe/Kayak Swap – 4-7 p.m.
- Kayak Fishing Tournament – 6-8 p.m.
You can also pick up your packet at your launch site on the day of the race. Please note that if you launch from a different site than you specified in your registration, your packet will be at that launch site and not available at another launch.
There will be again a popular break beach spot, between the Centennial and Crescent rail bridges in Rock Island, with porta-potties, water, beach umbrellas, seating and a Kona ice truck.
Registration (by Aug. 10) is $49.65 per person, and that includes a Floatzilla T-shirt, commemorative boat sticker, registration wrist band, free parking, and use of the shuttle bus. For more information and to register, visit the event website HERE.
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