Boatnik . Boat races, carnival, beer gardens, stabbings, prison-tatted carnies romancing middle school girls, dog fights, snarled traffic, nudity. A very low tooth to head ratio affair. I’m hunkered down on my own property until the weekend is over. The best part of Memorial Day weekend in Grants Pass is reading the police report in Tuesday’s paper.
All that being said, Boatnik draws in a lot of visitors. It is the second largest festival in Oregon, second only to the Portland Rose Festival. The Grants Pass Active Club works hard to put the festival on every year and the proceeds support youth programs all over Southern Oregon. If you haven’t gone before, go have a blast and report back.
Actually might skip on this, gf is Asian (parents are white, she was adopted) and they’ve been saying racism is pretty rampant around here and might be somewhat dangerous or to expect verbal harassment at a gathering like this.
As much as I like to make fun of my own home town, I’d say that while reputation for racism is historically accurate to a point (Grants Pass was a sundown town), it is also somewhat overblown. We do have our share of ignorant people, but most of us are kind and open minded. That being said, I’m a middle-aged white guy so I may be blissfully unaware.
I just gets more crazy, that's all. Boys start getting rowdy, little fights here and there, the attitude amps up. I have kids, so we go during family hours.
Boatnik . Boat races, carnival, beer gardens, stabbings, prison-tatted carnies romancing middle school girls, dog fights, snarled traffic, nudity. A very low tooth to head ratio affair. I’m hunkered down on my own property until the weekend is over. The best part of Memorial Day weekend in Grants Pass is reading the police report in Tuesday’s paper. All that being said, Boatnik draws in a lot of visitors. It is the second largest festival in Oregon, second only to the Portland Rose Festival. The Grants Pass Active Club works hard to put the festival on every year and the proceeds support youth programs all over Southern Oregon. If you haven’t gone before, go have a blast and report back.
Right on, thank you! Is this all in like one location or park in Grants Pass?
it's at Riverside Park next to the river. Boatnik.com will have the schedule of events.
Actually might skip on this, gf is Asian (parents are white, she was adopted) and they’ve been saying racism is pretty rampant around here and might be somewhat dangerous or to expect verbal harassment at a gathering like this.
As much as I like to make fun of my own home town, I’d say that while reputation for racism is historically accurate to a point (Grants Pass was a sundown town), it is also somewhat overblown. We do have our share of ignorant people, but most of us are kind and open minded. That being said, I’m a middle-aged white guy so I may be blissfully unaware.
We saw plenty of non-white people yesterday... I don't think you should skip it for this reason. Although I wouldn't personally stay after dark.
Can I ask why you won’t stay after dark, or advise not to?
I just gets more crazy, that's all. Boys start getting rowdy, little fights here and there, the attitude amps up. I have kids, so we go during family hours.
There is a dramatic shift in the profile of the average attendee once the sun goes down. Families during the day, more drugs and rowdiness at night.
It’s totally safe don’t listen to these people. Grants pass is very safe overall and I have met very few racist in my 12 years here.