Fierce competition, fall foliage, and fun along incredible waterways—put one (or more) on your calendar!
Head race season is in full swing! In New England, we are fortunate to enjoy two quintessential fall traditions at the same time: high-energy rowing races in one of the sport’s most challenging formats and brilliant leaf-peeping from the banks of our region’s most scenic lakes and rivers. From beloved local regattas full of personality and heritage to the international treasure that is the Head of the Charles, there is truly a race for everyone.
As supporters of the rowing community both near and afar, we follow each of these fall events with enthusiasm and even, when we can, take part in some respectable masters and alumni racing.
Learn more about the exceptional rowing events taking place across New England for September, October, and November 2025. We hope to see you at one or more!
Photo courtesy HolyokeRows.org
Paper City Chase, September 27, 2025
You may have rowed for a medal or trophy in past regattas, but have you ever competed to win homemade pie? At the Paper City Regatta, which bills itself as “Everyone’s favorite homegrown regatta,” that’s exactly what winners receive.
The friendly regatta takes place along the Connecticut River, where the hosting club, Holyoke Rows, has been operating since 2000 with a mission of making river recreation accessible to a wide population. Competitive juniors and masters rowers can test their speed and strength in a 4-kilometer upstream course that runs from the Route 91 bridge to the boathouse. Novice or first-time racers in both the youth and masters categories can participate in a 2-kilometer race that starts through the bridge where the Massachusetts Pike/Route 90 crosses the river. There is also a 500-meter adaptive/inclusion event.
The focus of this fun event is to get people racing! With the foliage just starting to turn vibrant in lower Massachusetts, it’s a great way to celebrate fall rowing. The big question is, What kind of pie will you be eating come Sunday?
Photo courtesy PRC
Green Mountain Head Regatta, September 28, 2025
Putney Rowing Club, based out of the idyllic town of Putney on the Vermont-New Hampshire border, hosts this charming and beloved local race every year at the beginning of fall. Why do we say “charming”? Well, the Green Mountain Head Regatta traces its origins to the 19th century, and despite the illustrious rowing figures who have participated over the years, the awards still feature maple syrup for first place, a bag of apples for second and a gallon of cider for third.
Formerly held on the Connecticut River in Putney, in 2022 the regatta moved locations 16 miles upstream in Herrick’s Cove near Bellows Falls. Unlike most fall head races, the regatta is only for sculling boats and draws competitors of every ability and age from the eastern seaboard and Canada. This year approximately 280 racers will participate in the stake race, launched in intervals, that runs 1.5 miles upstream, around two buoys and back again. If you’ve never seen a stake race, this is truly a fun event for spectating! After racing concludes, the rowers convene for lunch, a Green Mountain Head tradition.
Photo courtesy QRA
Quinsigamond Snake Regatta, October 4, 2025
Lake Quinsigamond is a rowing haven, nestled between the city of Worcester and the town of Shrewsbury in Worcester County, Massachusetts. The 4-mile-long lake, formed by glaciers, at times resembles a river, with a deep, narrow northern section and a more shallow southern basin full of coves and islands. We can’t say for certain, but we’d guess its winding shape is how the Snake Regatta, hosted by the Quinsigamond Rowing Association, got its name.
A traditional head-style race, the course is approximately 2.5 miles. Rowers begin at Sugarloaf Island and finish at the Donahue Rowing Center, located at the lake’s north end. The regatta is for collegiate crews, attracting many of New England’s top racing programs (17 clubs have entered so far this year)—many of which call Lake Quinsigamond home (e.g., College of the Holy Cross, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Clark University, among others).
Photo courtesy of HudsonRiverRowing.org
Poughkeepsie Regatta, October 4, 2025
So…New York is not technically part of New England, BUT those of us who love a great fall head race along a historic body of water can make an exception, and allow for some extra travel time when the occasion arises. The Poughkeepsie Regatta Head Race is such an event, a relatively new offering for the fall lineup consisting of a 4,800-meter head-style race along the beautiful Hudson River.
Race organizers describe the route like so: “Shadowing the route of the old Junior Varsity (3-mile) course, crews will race downstream from the Culinary Institute of America’s main campus in Hyde Park to the Mid-Hudson Bridge in Poughkeepsie, passing under Walkway Over the Hudson State Park and rowing by several other Poughkeepsie Waterfront landmarks.” (Fans of the best-seller rowing book The Boys in the Boat will recognize the historic 1895-1949 Intercollegiate Rowing Association course featured in its pages.)
Co-hosted by the Hudson River Rowing Association and the Mid-Hudson Rowing Association, both based out of Poughkeepsie, the regatta is open to juniors, collegiate, and masters rowers. Though the 7:30 a.m. start time makes for an early Saturday, it would be well worth it to arrive early and snag a prime viewing spot along the Walkway Over the Hudson!
Photo courtesy of TextileRiverRegatta.org
Textile River Regatta, October 5, 2025
Set along the historic Merrimack River in Lowell, Massachusetts, this beloved annual event is now in its 46th year. Wondering about the race’s name? According to event organizers, the Merrimac (historic spelling) and its system of locks and canals fueled the industrial revolution in the area, transforming the river region into the country’s center of textile production in the early to mid 1800s. The river’s rich history also includes the Pawtucket Indians, who paddled canoes and made their summer camps along these banks before the Pilgrims landed. In fact, the rocks just below the regatta starting line are part of an original dam used by the Pawtucket Indians for fishing.
Today, the popular head race features a 4,500-meter course with great areas for viewing along the esplanade downriver from the boathouse. Schools and clubs from throughout New England compete in numerous events across all levels—meaning the energy level is traditionally high. It’s a can’t miss on your fall regatta schedule!
photo courtesy: NHRC via Regatta Central
Head of the Housatonic, October 11 & 12, 2025
This unique and tightly organized head race hosted by the New Haven Rowing Club takes place at Indian Well State Park along Connecticut’s Housatonic River. This year 65 clubs are registered to participate as of this posting, which means the shores of the river will be lined with team tents and spectators, who arrive by shuttle from off-site parking lots. This is the first year the event will be held across two days, which organizers hope will allow more athletes to race twice and provide a less crowded atmosphere for all involved.
We’ve seen plenty of regattas in our day, but the Head of the Housatonic Regatta, held in the southern reaches of Shelton, Connecticut, offers a different kind of race format. Competitors launch from the sandy beach by walking boats into the water (there is no dock). Boats follow a very specific traffic pattern involving colored buoys and must adhere to “right of way” guidelines. This race demands your full focus in more ways than one!
Big news this year! Three-time Olympian and 2017 world champion sculler Robbie Manson and 2024 Head of the Charles and 2025 Henley Royal Regatta champion Finn Hamill have committed to race at the 2025 Head of the Housatonic on Saturday, October 11. Manson and Hamill will be available to meet participants for photos, autographs, and training tips on the Sunday of race weekend.
New Hampshire Championships George Dirth Memorial Regatta, October 12, 2025
What better way to warm up for one of the world’s most famous head races (HOCR) than with another widely renowned fall rowing competition? Up for the challenge? Then head to the George Dirth Memorial Regatta, which takes place the weekend before Head of the Charles and has the distinction of being the largest New England rowing event north of Boston. How large? More than 2,000 athletes rowing nearly 400 sculling and sweep boats.
Hosted by the Amoskeag Rowing Club in Pembroke, New Hampshire, the 3-mile head race begins upriver on the Merrimack and finishes at Memorial Park. In addition to providing a wonderful day of racing in a beautiful fall setting, this event awards a New Hampshire Cup team trophy for the best overall team performance and is raced in memory of George Dirth, a former Amoskeag club member and rower at Derryfield and Oregon State University who died tragically at the young age of 27.
New this year is the Masters Novice Single race category—created just for masters rowers who are newer to the sport (technically, this means those who have competed in fewer than five head races) and looking to enjoy some friendly competition with others at a similar experience level. Registration is still open.
Head of the Charles, October 17-19, 2025
Since 1965, this beloved annual head race has been delighting spectators and competitors alike with its top-level racing and most scenic environs of the Charles River. With its prestigious roster of athletes and charming Boston backdrop, who could resist? This year 858 clubs have registered, with 2,697 entries, according to the Head of the Charles event page on Regatta Central.
Looking for a prime spot to watch all the action? (With approximately 400,000 spectators and 11,000 competitors, it’s always a challenge!) The HOCR website has a list of viewing points along the course to help guide you on the ground.
If you plan to be there on Saturday, October 18, don’t miss the ceremony for the 2025 National Rowing Hall of Fame® inductees. The announcement will take place at 3 p.m. at the National Rowing Foundation U.S. Team Reunion tent.
photo courtesy: QRA via Regatta Central
Wormtown Chase, October 25, 2025
A regular last fall season hurrah for collegiate programs in the region, the Wormtown Chase is the longer of the two head races held on Lake Quinsigamond each autumn. (The Snake Regatta, listed above, is the other.) The Chase is also a relatively new fixture on the New England regatta calendar; the inaugural race took place in 2019 and was conceived as a way to offer a head race opportunity for masters rowers as well as a second fall event for schools.
Both college crews and masters now flock to the four-mile lake between Worcester and Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, for the 3.25-mile head race. The course begins at Quinsigamond State Park beach, proceeds south around Coast Guard and Blake Islands, and finishes at the Donahue Rowing Center. Why “Wormtown,” you might be wondering? Apparently this is a nickname for Worcester—one that can ignite debate, so be warned—coined by a local DJ in the 70s to refer to the city’s underground music scene.
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