What once began as a publicity stunt by a couple of realators in 1967 is now Nanaimo's most famous event held annually in the last weekend in July.
The race attracts over 200 entries and the attention of the media the world over. The course covers a course that leaves Nanaimo harbor, circles Entrance Island and then winds around Winchelsea Island before finishing at Departure Bay in Nanaimo.
The race is a climax of a weeklong Marine Festival that features the ever popular Sailpast on Wheels parade and the downtown Street Fair.
The evening before the Bathtub Race hosts the traditional 'Sacrafice the Bathtub Gods boat burning ceremony and fireworks display.