Bullhead City Blog » Bullhead City News & Events

Bullhead City Regatta for Fun and Profit

Evan Fuchs — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 20:11:59 +0000

Bullhead City Mayor Jack Hakim was a guest speaker at the Bullhead City/Mohave Valley Association of REALTORS quarterly membership luncheon yesterday.

When Mayor Hakim opened the floor for questions, I asked him about the success of the the Bullhead City Regatta, and its impact on our local economy.

Given that Bullhead City’s budget relies on sales tax revenue, having 27,000+ visitors in town for a few days is a clear win, but the Mayor highlighted some other areas, good and bad, vowing to make it better next year:

I know there were problems at the landing zone, and it broke my heart. It will never happen again. We know what we need to do and we are going to make it right.

Hey, this event grew up fast. I’m glad to see Bullhead City leadership publicly acknowledging complaints and committing to fix them.

Some possible solutions being explored include a bigger beach landing area, and better staggering of floats at the launch site to spread out the traffic.

Regatta is Bullhead City’s signature event

Mayor Hakim shared that the Bullhead City Regatta generated $530,000 in revenues, not including sales tax revenue, and was “funded without any taxpayer money.” An estimate of sales tax revenue generated from the Regatta is expected in the first week of October.

The final count of 27,117 was adjusted down from the previously reported 29,000, which Mayor Hakim attributed to the way wristbands were distributed. Apparently the original estimate of 29,000 was based on the number of wristbands given to various distributors, but not all of those were sold.

He also commented on the demographic diverstity of attendees, pointing out that many were first-timers that otherwise would not have visited the area. And they came from allover, including 28 states, Spain, Italy, Germany, and even Dubai. Yes, Dubai.

The Bullhead City Regatta has grown very quickly into major attraction, or as Mayor Hakim put it, “the signature piece for Bullhead City.”

And the repsonse has been mostly positive, but not everyone is a fan. Citing everything from health and safety, to environmental issues, the few detractors I’ve encountered online have been pretty vocal.

Sure, there have been some negatives over the years, but it’s hard to argue with positives; Vistors come from all over the world to have a good time, spend some money, and they tell their friends.

Personally, I’m a big fan.

Bullhead City River Regatta 2011

Evan Fuchs — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 20:17:39 +0000

The Colorado River was overtaken by staggering 29,000 floaters participating in the 5th annual Bullhead City River Regatta this past weekend.

With the event pretty much more than doubling in size each of the last five years, everyone, especially the City, had their eye on safety. Aside from a few knuckleheads I witnessed performing various acts of stupidity, I have yet to hear of any major incidents or injuries. I’ve heard some rumors, none substantiated, so feel free to set me straight in the comments.

And that figure of 29,000 peeps is accurate, according to an article in today’s Mohave Daily News:

At Tuesday’s council meeting, Bullhead City Manager Toby Cotter said the 29,000 figure for regatta floaters “is a very accurate number,” but it will take time to arrive at a final count.

Regarding how much money the event generated, Cotter said there’s “a lot of balance sheet work to do,” with invoices still coming in. He said he expected to have a full report on the regatta at the Sept. 20 council meeting.

Mind you, Bullhead City’s population is somewhere in the range of 40,000 people.

We took in the show from the (dry) comfort of the riverfront, snagging tons of photos and a few videos:

Here’s a video shot from a helicopter by Tom Gallant. Nice!:

Did you Regatta? Will you be back? Please let me know in the comments!

For more on the Regatta, and to make plans for next year, check out these resources:

Bullhead City River Regatta on Facebook

City of Bullhead City Website

Official site of Bullhead City River Regatta

Bullhead Regatta by Helicopter

Evan Fuchs — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:21:18 +0000

Bullhead City River Regatta Video

Here’s an aerial view of 4th annual Bullhead City River Regatta held on the Colorado River this past weekend in Bullhead City, Arizona.

Thanks to Tom Gallant of Around the River Publishing, videographer and all around good guy, for hopping on the helicopter and grabbing this footage that many people are asking about.

Bullhead City River Regatta Photos

Looking for more Regatta? We have a link on the Bullhead Laughlin Realty Facebook page to 130 pictures of the the Bullhead Regatta, or visit the Official Fan Page of the Bullhead City River Regatta

Rockin’ The River Regatta

Evan Fuchs — Sat, 29 May 2010 15:29:57 +0000

Summer is right around the corner, which means it’s time to mark your calendar for the 4th annual Bullhead City River Regatta.

The Regatta takes place on Saturday, August 14, 2010, when thousands of people will gather at Bullhead City Community Park for a group float down the Colorado River to Rotary Park.

It looks something like this:

If you register before August 10th, the entrance fee for the 8 mile float is $15. After that is bumps up to $20.

The Regatta is open to teams and individuals, with cash, prizes, and bragging rights up for grabs in several categories.

Last year’s overall winner, The Topock Gamblers pictures above, walked away with 500 bucks!

Regatta weekend kicks off on Friday night with the Ye Gatta Regatta pre-party at Community Park from 5:30 – 10 pm and concludes with the Ye Hafta Afta party at Rotary Park. Good times for all!

For detailed information and registration visit bullheadregatta.com or go directly to the Regatta registration page.

Also, be sure to join the Bullhead City River Regatta Facebook page.

City Manager Starts Blogging Today

Evan Fuchs — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:03:26 +0000

With precisely one day on the job, Bullhead City’s new City Manager, Toby Cotter, starts blogging today at Bullhead City’s website.

The blog, entitled 365 Days to Sustainability, will cover a wide range of community topics:

From finances to tourism to senior services, this ongoing community dialogue will help us discover and explore how to build the most sustainable community possible. We will discuss taxation, water, solar, healthcare, housing, recreation, clean air, diversity, civic groups, tourism, community engagement and much more.

A daily blog, huh? Sounds pretty ambitious to me! I love the idea and think it’s a indication that we might expect some fresh ideas from the new City Manager.

The first entry includes a plea to the community to get involved:

What can you do? I would ask that you please step forward and assist the City Council, Staff and myself in this venture. There are so many ways to become involved in our community. Voting, volunteering, coming to city meetings, joining a community group, attending social events, suggesting a new way to improve city services and being a positive member of your neighborhood are just a few of the ways you can participate.

Yes, it does take a village, doesn’t it?

You might notice he closes the blog post by saying he is looking forward to working with us again. This isn’t Cotter’s first tour with Bullhead City. He served a few years back as Bullhead City’s Public Information Officer. Most recently, he was Village Administrator in Richfield, Wisconsin (population 11,500) before accepting the new position in Bullhead City.

Bullhead City has a history of short-term City Mangers, which hinders such important things as continuity in leadership and long-term planning. Especially when you consider that the City Council has built-in turnover. Let’s hope the trend stopped yesterday.

I’ve talked to Toby Cotter about this very concern, and it’s not something lost on him. I’m excited for the City to have a familiar and qualified person taking over and really do look forward to see how Bullhead City progresses under his guidance.

I’m also looking forward to reading his new blog. One question, why no ability to leave comments on the blog posts? I’ll have to do my commenting from here, and I invite you to do the same.

Still Time to Visit with Santa

Evan Fuchs — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:21:12 +0000

There are still chances to see Santa, courtesy of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #50‘s “Visit with Santa” program.

At these following locations, Santa and his Helpers on a sleigh, escorted by police patrol cars, will visit with children in several Bullhead City neighborhoods.

Children can visit with Santa, tell him what they want for Christmas and receive a Candy Cane. Be sure to bring your camera to take pictures with Santa.

12/14 Monday – Rio Lomas & Arroyo Vista Area

5:30pm Sierra Santiago & Hi Jolly Drive
6:35pm Corwin Road & Lariat Drive
7:05pm Mohave Crossroads Plaza- 3699 Hwy 95 (45 min stop)

12/15 Tuesday – Old Bullhead City/Sunridge Estates

5:30pm First Street & Moser Avenue
6:05pm Seventh Street & Lee Avenue
6:35pm Sun River Road & Landon Drive West
7:05pm Canyon Walk Apartments- 2795 Desert Foothills Boulevard

12/23 Wednesday

5:30pm Goldrush Apartments- 2030 Prospector Court

The ‘Visit with Santa’ program is free. For more information, contact Community Services Officer Lorrie Duggins of the Bullhead City Police Department at (928) 763-9200 ext. 204.

Reproduced with permission from Bullhead City Press Release

A Face for Radio

Evan Fuchs — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:23:24 +0000

I’ve been writing about the Bullhead City real estate market on a regular basis for some time now. Besides the blog, I do a column for the Bullhead Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Mohave County Economic Development Journal. Those outlets have also opened the door for other opportunities to spread the word, and that ain’t bad.

So when Don Walker, the host of a weekly radio show called “Powerful Living”, asked me to come on once a month to give the radio and online listeners a quick real estate update, of course I agreed.

In case you’re wondering what the connection is between a fitness/health show and real estate, beats me! But Don has an definite interest in real estate and presumably more listeners than our Mohave Real Talk podcast, so that was enough for me.

My first call-in was yesterday a little after 10 am. I managed to squeeze in some stats, plugged the tax credit for first time buyers, and even promoted our home buyer workshop next week. Have a listen to the archived show here. You can skip to the 1:09:00 mark to catch my spot (that’s an hour and nine minutes).

I really enjoy these opportunities to talk about our local market, and it’s not (just) to feed my ego. Over the years I’ve become passionate about sharing information in an effort to help people educate themselves and make sound decisions about real estate, as opposed to say, relying on sensational headlines.

I’m fortunate to work with others in our office that share this passion, so being the source of real estate information for the Bullhead City area has become part of the fabric of Bullhead Laughlin Realty. At our monthly home buyer workshops, we are all about sharing information about becoming a home owner in today’s market.

The radio show gives us another vehicle to do our thing, so thank you to Don and his Powerful Living program for giving another avenue to spread the word about home ownership opportunities in Bullhead City.

Home Buyer Workshop This Week

Evan Fuchs — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:03:55 +0000

We’re holding another Bullhead City Home Buyer Workshop this Thursday, September 17th. It’s free and open to the public.

The sole purpose of this event is to help people gain a better understanding of the home buying processing in today’s market.

Please note that this is not a sales pitch

We do no selling of any kind. Hey, if you’re buying a house and want some help, that’s great. But I promise we do not sell. Period.

We talk about things like the home buyer tax credit, Your Way Home AZ (22% purchase assistance for buying a foreclosure), what to expect when buying a foreclosure or REO property, current financing options, credit scoring, and an overview of the process itself from beginning to end.

What attendees have said in the past

We ask people to fill out a very brief, anonymous survey to help us improve. We’re proud that it’s been very positive.

Here are a few:

“Keep doing what you’re doing. Love all the info and being able to ask questions.”

“This class and realty office has changed my life.”

“Very informative – good for first time buyers.”

“It was perfect – very informative.”

Interested? Here are the details

If you’d like to attend just drop me an email or call the office at 928-704-6700

Here’s a map to Bullhead Laughlin Realty

We finish up by 8 pm, usually a little earlier.

If you can’t make it this time around, we hold them on the 3rd Thursday of every month. Hope to see you there.

Bullhead City River Regatta

Evan Fuchs — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 20:31:55 +0000

If floating on the Colorado River with a few thousand friends sounds like your idea of a good time, you’ve got to check the Bullhead City River Regatta on Saturday, August 29th.

The float launches from Bullhead City Community Park at 9 am (check-in begins at 7 am) and winds 8 miles down the Colorado River, ending at Rotary Park. After party with food and entertainment!

Bullhead City Birthday Bath -n- Splash

No regatta is complete without a theme, right? Last year it was Pirates of the Colorado.

This year it’s Bullhead City’s 25th birthday celbration:

Think PARTY! (Cakes, balloons, presents, party games).

Think HISTORY! (what do you remember about the 1980s?)

Be sure to check out the Questions & Answers and Things to Know page from the official site. You’ll get all the details you need, like where to park, how much it costs, how to register your float, and so on.

Oh, and don’t forget about the Ye Gotta Regatta party on Friday night before the float from 5-10 pm. Best Bartender Contest, too? Yep.

The Regatta is GROWING so Register in Advance!

In only it’s third year, the annual Bullhead City River Regatta is growing exponentially. The 900 attendees in 2007 grew to 4,000 plus last year. They are now expecting more than 9,000 people. Holy Float!

Advanced registration for the float is strongly encouraged: Bullhead City River Regatta registration.

Are you a Floater?

If you’ve made the regatta float (or any other Colorado River float for that matter), I’d love to hear your story or see some photos. Please leave a comment or drop me an email.

Free Home Buyer Workshop Tonight

Evan Fuchs — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:13:47 +0000

Come check out our Home Buyer Workshop tonight at 6 pm.

We hold a workshop in Bullhead City on the third Thursday of every month at Bullhead Laughlin Realty.

Learn about the buying process, financing options, negotiating the purchase, and how to take advantage of current government incentives such as the $8,000 federal tax credit.

Foreclosure buyers, learn how to buy a foreclosure and get 22% purchase assistance from AZ Dept of Housing.

The workshop is free and open to the public. No strings attached. No sales pitch. Just honest, straight forward information to help you get on the path to home ownership.

What: Free Home Buyer Workshop

When: Tonight at 6pm

Where: Bullhead Laughlin Realty 2765 Highway 95 1/2 block north of Walmart. Click for map to Bullhead Laughlin Realty

Who: Open to the public

Why: To get the straight scoop on how to become a home owner

How: Easy! Call 928-704-6700 or drop me an email to let us know you’re coming

Hope to see your there tonight!