Kankakee approves APBA races through 2029, keeping Labor Day regatta

Kankakee has locked in the APBA powerboat races through 2029 after the City Council unanimously approved a four-year contract on June 3. The deal keeps the Kankakee River Valley Regatta on the river for Labor Day weekend in 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029, and it also keeps the yearly tradeoffs that come with it: river restrictions, parking controls and public spending.

Under the agreement, Kankakee will pay APBA $80,000 each year. Shaw Local reported that the fee covers race officials, sanctions, prize money and administrative services, and that the city is raising money to cover that cost and other event expenses. For residents, the regatta is a recurring budget item, not just a weekend show.

What the 2026 schedule says

The official regatta site lists Sept. 4-6, 2026, for next year’s races. It says Friday, Sept. 4 will be testing at 1 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 5 will have testing and practice at 10 a.m. before racing begins at noon; and Sunday, Sept. 6 will feature championship racing beginning at noon.

The site also says the Kankakee River will be closed to boaters during race times. That matters for people who use the river for recreation, access or fishing because the closure is tied to the race schedule rather than the entire weekend being treated the same way.

Parking and street rules add another layer of disruption. The regatta site says spectator parking will be on the south side of the river off River Road, with designated lots only and no parking in non-designated areas. It says Kankakee Community College Lot B will be used as overflow parking, and it notes that Cobb Boulevard between Osborn and Justine will be closed to traffic. Vehicle entry also requires a parking pass, even though admission is free.

Why the council vote matters locally

The approval gives Kankakee a stable signature event through at least 2029 after the regatta returned in 2024 following an 11-year absence. City leaders have treated the race weekend as a civic and tourism fixture with recurring public support.

For nearby residents, river users and downtown businesses, the practical effects are more immediate. Each Labor Day weekend now comes with the same set of questions: where to park, which streets are closed, when the river is off-limits and how much city support is going into the event. The contract makes those annual logistics part of Kankakee’s calendar through at least 2029.

That is the core local tradeoff: a signature river event with a fixed place on the calendar, but also recurring costs and predictable late-summer disruption.

Sources

• Shaw Local / Daily Journal — Kankakee formally oks APBA boat races through 2029
• Kankakee River Valley Regatta — official site
• City of Kankakee — boat races page