Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
Support independent student journalism. Support independent student journalism. Support independent student journalism.
The Dartmouth
July 20, 2025 | Latest Issue
The Dartmouth

Festival of floats set for Saturday

Around noon on Saturday, more than 1000 people and their inner tubes will descend into the Connecticut River and try to maintain their places as the currents of the river push them downstream.

As they work to anchor themselves, they will listen to live music, drink legal and illegal substances and spend a day of fun in the sun.

All over campus, talk of this upcoming weekend's Tubestock event has many students anxiously awaiting Summer term's most ultimate experience.

"I can't wait for it to get here because it's going to be a lot of fun," Hector Canales '95 said.

Although Tubestock has become a Summer term tradition at Dartmouth, Student Programs Coordinator Linda Kennedy said the College and Tubestock are in no way related.

The day-long, river-top party is thrown by Richard "Boomer" Akerboom '80, who stumbled upon the tradition when he decided to hold a party on the river for this friends during the summer of 1987.

But, the incredible popularity of Tubestock, an experience most students begin to fantasize about as early as their freshmen trips, leads many to call Kennedy's office for dates of the event.

"As early as January we get phone calls asking about Tubestock and we have to tell them we have nothing to do with it," Kennedy said.

Akerboom, an environmental engineer and former member of Chi Heorot fraternity, remembered playing with his band on the deck of their river front apartment in Norwich, Vt., commonly referred to as the "River Ranch," during the first event.

"There must have been around 200 people during the first Tubestock," Akerboom said.

According to Akerboom, the idea of floating on a innertube in the river soon caught on as more and more people, including Dartmouth students, began to participate in the summer event.

Akerboom soon realized his original party for friends had become a Dartmouth tradition, on par with the building of the Homecoming Bonfire and the Winter Carnival Sculpture.

The event does not cost much at all, Akerboom said. He does, however, make back his minimal expenses by selling T-shirts. "I barely break even," he said.

Akerboom pointed out that any competition from students and others selling Tubestock T-shirts might discourage him from holding the event next year.

"If I don't make any money from selling them, I don't think I can afford holding Tubestock next year," Akerboom said.

Akerboom pays for an off-duty Norwich police officer to be on site and for a portable bathroom.

Alcohol is not permitted and any possible offenders risk being caught by the State of New Hampshire's Marine Patrol. According to the Marine Patrol, officers will be floating around with students to ensure safety and enforce the state's over-21 drinking age.

Though the party is being provided for them, students must be sure to prepare for the event. Anyone expecting to float on Saturday needs to borrow or buy an innertube. Several local tire stores are already stocking up with tires for the weekend.

Wilson Tire Inc. in Lebanon, is among the many innertube retailers that will be selling to party-goers. Mark Pollard, co-owner of Wilson Tires, said he plans to sell approximately 1,000 tubes.

The most popular tube is the 20-inch truck tire, which costs $15 used and $20 new. The tubes run as low as $10.