Milk Carton Boat Races Held On Land Due To E. Coli Levels

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – A boat racing tradition in Minneapolis looked a little different this year. The Milk Carton Boat Races took place on land.

They were supposed to be on Thomas Beach on Bde Maka Ska, but the beach has been closed for weeks because of E. coli levels in the water. Instead of paddling in the lake, participants carried their boats on land.

The Milk Carton Boat Races have been held every year in Minneapolis for almost 50 years. This is the first time they've had to stay on land.

"Kind of a spur of the moment thing. We were still holding out to hopefully have better water quality and on Monday we had to make the call to do it on land instead of in the water because the water was not improving," said Dawn Ryan, with Twin Cities Beach Blast. "The storms weren't giving us any breaks."

There was also a sandcastle building competition at the Twin Cities Beach Blast. There were categories for both family and friends.