MARBLE FALLS, Texas — Drag boat racing returned to Marble Falls over the weekend with LakeFest 2021.
LakeFest has always been a big draw for the Texas Hill Country, and organizers are expecting another good crowd this weekend.
LakeFest has been a 30-year tradition, but it's been gone for the last three years. Many people in the area are excited to see it return.
The drag boats can hit speeds of up to 200 mph, traveling 1,000 feet in just five seconds. The sights and sounds are a unique experience, but the races can be dangerous. In 2015, a racer died – the only time that has happened at LakeFest.
The event brings thousands of people and thousands of dollars to the city. Hotels in the area are already sold out for the festival.
One thing visitors to Marble Falls will see this weekend is construction underway at Lakeside Park. The work is part of the improvement projects the City has outlined for the area right along the lake. A beach and limestone seating have been added.
"We have a schematic design in place right now to make that cool, put some water and lighting and that kind of stuff on it, to really kind of showcase the history of the area and tell people how Marble Falls came to be. And kind of tell a little bit of a story about the LCRA and the Colorado River at the same time," said Christian Fletcher, Marble Falls' economic development director.
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