Head of the Charles 2012: Schedule, Parking, Traffic Information

The annual regatta, the largest of its kind in the country, is put on each year by the Cambridge Boat Club. The event draws as many as 300,000 to the banks of the Charles River each year, from the starting line near the Boston University Bridge to the finish line near Harvard Square. 

Where to Watch
The race course runs three miles upstream from the Boston University Boathouse to Christian Herter Park. 

Most spectators find a place to watch between the Anderson and Weeks bridges, along the halfway point of the race. 

There are more than 50 races taking place throughout the weekend, with events happening from 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. You can see the full schedule here. 

If you're looking for food and drink, you can check out the regatta's Reunion Village for $5/person. Inside you'll find beer, wine and food from Boston Burger Company.

Closed Roads
Memorial Drive in Cambridge will be closed from the Cambridge Boat Club to Western Avenue from from 8 a.m. through 7 p.m. all weekend. 

Traffic on Nonantum Road, which turns into Soldiers Field Road and then Storrow Drive in Brighton, will also be impacted during the race.

Parking is very limited in the area near the event. One of the main lots is at Artesani Park, in Brighton, across the river from Watertown. You can see a map here. 

Shuttles
Buses come roughly every 15 minutes Saturday & Sunday, October 20 & 21 – 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Course Shuttle - Stop 1 Finish Area Launch Site – Lot 4, Artesani Park Stop 2 Riverside Boat Club – Singles and Doubles Launch/Magazine Beach Stop 3 Reunion Village – Between Weeks and Lars Anderson bridges – Boston Side . Last bus departs this stop at 4:30 p.m. Stop 4 Cambridge Boat Club

Birmingham Parkway Shuttle -  Stop A Finish Area Launch Site – Everett Street, across from Artesani Park Stop B Birmingham Parkway – East, near WBZ Stop C Birmingham Parkway – West, near McDonald’s

Full Schedule

Saturday, Oct 20 1 8:00 am Men's Grand Master Singles [50+] 2 8:30 am Women's Grand Master Singles [50+] 3 8:54 am Men's Senior Master Singles [40+] 4 9:07 am Women's Senior Masters Singles [40+] 5 9:24 am Men's Senior Master Eights [50+] 6 9:41 am Women's Senior Master Eights [50+] 7 9:57 am Men's Senior Master Fours [50+] 8 10:09 am Women's Senior Master Fours [50+] 9 10:35 am Men's Senior Master Doubles [50+] 10 10:52 am Women's Senior Master Doubles [50+] 11 11:16 am Men's Alumni Eights 12 11:34 am Women's Alumnae Eights 13 11:48 am Men's Club Singles 14 12:09 pm Womens Club Singles 15 12:30 pm Men's Club Fours 16 12:55 pm Women's Club Fours 17 1:20 pm Men's Club Eights 18 1:35 pm Women's Club Eights 19 1:53 pm Men's Master Doubles [40+] 20 2:04 pm Women's Master Doubles [40+] 21 2:19 pm Men's Master Fours [40+] 22 2:31 pm Women's Master Fours [40+] 23 2:49 pm Men's Master Eights [40+] 24 3:02 pm Women's Master Eights [40+] 25 3:16 pm Men's Championship Doubles 26 3:26 pm Women's Championship Doubles 27 3:40 pm Men's Collegiate Fours 28 3:55 pm Women's Collegiate Fours 29 4:14 pm Men's Championship Singles 30 4:23 pm Women's Championship Singles DCPC2x 4:34 pm Directors' Challenge Parent/Child Doubles DCMX2x 4:51 pm Directors Challenge Mixed Doubles Sunday, Oct 21 31 8:00 am Mixed Adaptive Fours 32 8:16 am Mixed/Same Gender Adaptive Doubles 33 8:35 am Men's Senior Veteran Singles I and II [70+] 34 9:03 am Women's Veteran I/II and Senior Veteran I/II [60 - 69, 70+] 35 9:30 am Men's Veteran Singles I and II [60+] 36 10:05 am Men's Youth Fours DCW4x 10:36 am Directors' Challenge Women's Quads 37 10:52 am Women's Youth Fours 38 11:23 am Men's Master Singles 39 11:35 am Women's Master Singles 40 11:55 am Men's Youth Doubles 41 12:12 pm Women's Youth Doubles 42 12:33 pm Men's Lightweight Singles 43 12:44 pm Women's Lightweight Singles 44 1:05 pm Men's Youth Eights DCM4x 1:34 pm Directors' Challenge Men's Quads 45 1:50 pm Women's Youth Eights 46 2:32 pm Men's Championship Fours 47 2:40 pm Women's Championship Fours 48 2:55 pm Men's Championship Eights 49 3:08 pm Women's Championship Eights DCMX4x 3:26 pm Directors' Challenge Mixed Quads 50 3:43 pm Men's Collegiate Eights 51 4:00 pm Women's Collegiate Eights 52 4:15 pm Men's Lightweight Fours 53 4:23 pm Women's Lightweight Fours 54 4:38 pm Men's Lightweight Eights 55 4:45 pm Women's Lightweight Eights

Will you be attending the Head of the Charles this weekend? Which race are you most excited to watch? Tell us in the comments.