If you’ve been down to Ladybird Lake in the morning, you may have seen a lot of people on stand up paddleboards. It’s officially a “thing” to do this summer. And this weekend, historic Bastrop is hosting the SUP (Stand Up Paddleboard) Cup, a whole weekend of water races and activities from Friday August 15 to Sunday August 17.

The stretch of the Colorado River that drifts through Bastrop is home to some of the best SUP’ing (and kayaking and tubing) in Central Texas. Join the fun with a 6-mile down-river race, a kids’ race, a SUP obstacle course, and more! There will be activities and lessons for beginners trying out a stand up paddleboard for the first time, as well as competitions for the veterans and fun activities if you just want to watch from the safety of the river bank.

Friday night will feature Sprint Races from 7 – 9 pm, followed by a SUP Pub Crawl through downtown Bastrop. Tickets for the pub crawl are included when you buy “Go for the Cup” race tickets.

On Saturday, watch the Original Texas Down River SUP Race, “El Camino Real de SUP,” will go six miles from Fisherman’s Park to the Ol’ Iron Bridge starting at 10 am. Travel from the wide flat river to narrow, tricky waters and you’ll see why this area is a sought-after SUP destination. Shuttles will be provided before the race so you can leave your car near the finish line. This race will be followed by The Skills Course in the afternoon – featuring water cannons fired from the banks by spectators. Points will be awarded on style as well as on skill.

And of course, it wouldn’t be a Central Texas event without some live music. Mike and the Moonpies will be playing at Neighbors Kitchen and Yard (formerly the Bastrop Brewhouse) after the awards ceremony.

A full schedule of events can be found here.