River Rat Regatta on the Neuse

Thinking about hosting a community event?

Do it in Downtown Smithfield and apply for the JEM grant to help with advertising costs!

Learn More ...

Two-person teams in boats built entirely from cardboard, duct tape, and glue race down the Neuse River during the River Rat Regatta! Spectators watch on from the banks of the river, cheering at the teams paddling their way the 1/4 mile down the river from the Boat Ramp to the Neuse River Amphitheatre at Town Commons.

Awards are given to the fastest 1st-2nd in the Youth and 1st-3rd in the Adult divisions, overall Best Decorated, and the Titanic Award for the Most Memorable Sinking. For more information about the 2023 River Rat Regatta, set for August 12, click here.

As a Main Street America Affiliate™, the Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation is part of a national network of more than 1,200 neighborhoods and communities that share both a commitment to creating high-quality places and to building stronger communities through preservation-based economic development.

Smithfield is a North Carolina Main Street community, designated by the N.C. Department of Commerce Main Street & Rural Planning Center. The Downtown Smithfield Development Corporation is charged with administering the program at the local level and building public-private partnerships to spur economic development that achieves measurable results such as investment, business growth, and job creation.