The 2026 Race to Alaska (R2AK) starts on Sunday, June 14 at 5 a.m. in Port Townsend, but before that happens, head over to Northwest Maritime to party with the racers, see some cool boats on the hard, get delicious food and drinks, and dance it up with great music at the R2AK Ruckus.

Race fans, help give this year’s R2AK participants a night to remember before their long, wet journey while you put faces (and hulls) to those blips on the tracker screen. Dozens of R2AK boats and crew will be spread across the Ruckus for you to check out. See the improbable craft and peer into the eyes of the marginally sane adventurers who actually choose to race. All that, and you can get a tattoo of the R2AK logo while you’re at it.

RUCKUS | SATURDAY, JUNE 13

3 PM: Food, Bar & Tattoos open. No, they’re not fake.
4 PM: Live Music from Uncle Funk & The Dope 6.
6:30 PM: Movie Screening: The Race to Alaska.
7 PM: Done. Go Ruckus somewhere else and get some sleep before the race start.

RACE START | SUNDAY, JUNE 14

5 AM: Cheer on the racers as they get an early morning start for the “proving ground” leg to Victoria.
AFTER: Follow the race tracker as the boats head north!

What is the Race to Alaska? Watch the trailer for the movie below or learn more at R2AK.com.