Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny River Race

This wild river ride will get your heart pumping – whether you're floating on the water or cheering with the crowds along the river banks. Port Hope's Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny River Race in April should be on your bucket list!

Discover all the activities and excitement of Ganny Weekend in Port Hope! 

Historic river race celebrates arrival of spring season

First-time sailors and seasoned boaters take on the fast-flowing Ganaraska River that runs through downtown to Lake Ontario. The one-of-a-kind event is a wild and wacky tradition to mark the town's big flood of 1980.

Please note that the Sylvan Glen Bridge is under construction. As a result, there will be no Crazy Craft category for 2024. Participants can try the new Inflatable category, a short river run from Optimist Park offering bitesize adventure with bigtime fun. Or venture the full 16km route in a canoe or kayak, launching from Canton.

Annual event celebrates the rally after the big flood of 1980

Heavy rain caused the river to rise and flood the streets in the downtown core, evacuating merchants and damaging many of the heritage buildings. Hundreds came out to clean up the aftermath. Port Hope is older than Canada and has many stories to tell.

“That's the reason the race started,” says Barry Adamson, race co-chair and former crewman on the Port Britain Pops, a vessel made from 350 recycled pop bottles encased in orange snow fencing. “Port Hope residents decided we're going to enjoy the river. We're not going to let it scare us.” Just watch out for water guns!