Boston Apparel Company Blog

The Unofficial Guide and Boston Apparel Co. Present:

Thing #4 To Do in Boston: Head of the Charles

Let’s face it: unless you yourself row crew, there’s a good chance you didn’t even know what it was until you came to college. And then, suddenly, you’re a freshman, and every single person you know rows crew, and you find yourself telling the five-year-old you babysit not to worry about his height (or lack thereof) because he’ll make a great coxswain. Now despite your newfound knowledge of the existence of crew, there’s a good chance you have never actually been to a regatta. Never fear, the Head of the Charles Regatta is every October. Okay, so Head of the Charles isn’t just a boat race. In fact, unless you actually enjoy watching crew, there’s a good chance you won’t notice the race at all. However, it's not a bad call to look the part. Don your M.I.T/Harvard gear, some boat shoes, and your best pair of shades.

Head of the Charles is really all about four things:

First, the FREE SAMPLES. Skip the cafeteria and head over to the Charles early (read: before 3pm) on Saturday to be sure you get all of the samples before they run out. Pro-tip: make a few laps around the free sample booths and you’ll save yourself a late-night CVS snack run. Also, make sure to cast menacing glances at all of the vendors that try to sell you food

After you’re full on free food, head to REUNION VILLAGE. Reunion Village is located on the Boston side of the river, between Weeks and Anderson bridges. It’s easy to spot, as it’s the only location on the river where people actually look like they’re having fun. It costs $5 to get in, and it fills up quickly, but if you can get in, it’s well worth it. The atmosphere is unbeatable.

The third most important part of HOCR weekend is INSTAGRAMMING PICTURES OF THE REGATTA. This is a subtle way to remind people that you do pretentious things like attending regattas.Lastly and most importantly, HOCR is about fiending after all of the ridiculously HOT ROWERS. Bonus points for actually hooking up with one. Triple bonus points if he or she is on a British team. How does one accomplish such a feat? Try jumping into the river just as a British boat is approaching. Then, pretend you can’t swim. Hopefully, a nice, strong Brit will help pull you out of the water. Please note that this strategy has not been tested and that we are not liable for any bodily injury/fines/embarrassment that may result.