The Royal St. John’s Regatta is the longest running continuous sporting event in North America with the first documented race in 1816, but it is quite possible that the first event coincided with the coronation of King George III in 1761. The Regatta crews row six-member, coxswained, fixed-seat racing shells across Quidi Vidi Lake. As many as 50,000 people show up to play games, support their favourite charities or eat at the food stands that increasingly reflect the diversity of St. John’s. This is the only civic holiday I know of that is entirely dependent on the weather. If the winds don’t cooperate, the holiday is postponed until the next suitable day. What goes around the lake is just as interesting as what goes on on the water.