Regatta Set to Begin July 3rd

This year’s Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta will have people turning their eyes to the heavens once again but not because the air show is back. The first day’s events will wrap up with high wire walker Nik Wallenda walking across the Allegheny River on a 5/8th inch wire stretched 200 feet above the surface of the water. Wallenda says when he does a stunt like this he usually puts stabilizer cables on the main wire every 25-30 feet to keep it from swaying. However, going over the river with the power boat races below he will only be able to use guy wires on one side. He says in more than 100 years of high ire walking his family has never rigged a wire that way. The wire will run from the down-river side of PNC Park to the 6th street Bridge.
The regatta also includes the traditional fireworks show on the 4th of July and power boat races all weekend. The fireworks show July 4th will run about 25 minutes and include 22,000 fireworks. The largest powerboat will run down the river at speeds of more than 110 miles per hour. The headline music guest is Three Dog Night, which will perform before the fire works.