River Action aims to have this summer’s Floatzilla — the largest paddle event on the Mississippi River — become the biggest such event in the nation.

Floatzilla will be held on Aug. 19th, 2023, expecting to attract thousands of participants and spectators to the Quad Cities.

The Floatzilla board of directors has made additional investments in this year’s event, including hiring a full-time event manager to oversee the operation, improving logistics and safety measures, expanding marketing efforts, launching a new website and enhancing entertainment and activities for participants and spectators, according to a Monday news release.

The home page for the new website, floatzillaqc.org.

Floatzilla is also partnering with Alternating Currents (Aug. 17-20) to have live music at the Davenport Main Street launch site and will collaborate on marketing materials to bring in out-of- towners for the jam-packed weekend in the QC. With these investments, Floatzilla 2023 is poised to become the biggest and best paddle event yet, River Action said Monday.

“Our goal is to make Floatzilla 2023 the most unforgettable event on the Mississippi River,” said Michael Corsiglia, events program manager at River Action. “With the new investment, we are confident that we will break the Guinness World Record for the largest raft of canoes and kayaks and bring huge media attention to the mission of River Action and the Quad Cities in general.”

According to Guinness World Records, the largest raft of canoes and kayaks consists of 3,150 boats and was achieved by One Square Mile of Hope (USA) in Inlet, N.Y., on Sept. 13, 2014.

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River Action organizes the annual Floatzilla gathering of floating canoes and kayaks.

The launch sites for Floatzilla will be:

  • Main Street, Credit Island and Lindsay Park Yacht Club in Davenport
  • Leach Park in Bettendorf
  • Bass Street Landing YMCA in Moline
  • Empire Park in East Moline
  • Lake Potter in Rock Island

Floatzilla 2023 promises to be a fun-filled weekend for all ages and skill levels. Participants can paddle in their own canoes or kayaks or rent one from local vendors. The event will feature a variety of paddle clinics, live music, food vendors, and family-friendly activities.

For more information, visit the Floatzilla site HERE.