Officials: More Than 600,000 People Attend 2015 Three Rivers Regatta
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – While recent rains impacted some EQT Three Rivers Regatta events, thousands of people still enjoyed the festivities.
According to officials, more than 600,000 people made their way Downtown for this year's event.
On Friday, officials canceled all river events, including the power boat races and the Anything That Floats event.
Ultimately, it came down to an inability to overcome Mother Nature and specifically, the debris that continued to wash down the Allegheny River from the recent storms.
"Although it was a disappointment that we had to cancel all events on the water, we are confident we did the right thing for safety reasons. The safety and well-being of the participants and the public is and will always be our top priority. Thank you, Pittsburgh, the tri-state area and visitors, for your support and understanding. We are so appreciative that you surpassed our expectations," Peony Entertainment's Director Derek Weber said.
Even without the river events, there was plenty to do at this year's Regatta.
About 7,000 people enjoyed the Ferris wheel in Point State Park. This was the first time the attraction had been part of the Regatta.
"We are more than thrilled with the success of the 2015 EQT Pittsburgh Three Rivers Regatta," said John R. Bonassi, Chairman of the Board of Directors. "This was the first year with Peony Entertainment at the helm, and our board of directors is very proud of their management team. They truly did an outstanding job and the future of this annual Pittsburgh tradition looks brighter than ever."
As for the fireworks, the Regatta board is sold on the creativity of Pyrotechnico.
"Pyrotechnico is going to be our fireworks provider for quite some time," Bonassi told KDKA.
Whether the Ferris wheel comes back next year is not yet known. There are I's to dot, T's to cross, votes to take, but it was on of the highlights of this year's festivities and the organizers would like to have it back.
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