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One of our region’s most popular summer events is gearing up for another day of madness and mayhem.

The Annual Deepings Raft Race – which started 50 years ago after two local men in a pub had a bet with each other to see who could build the best raft – will be held on Sunday August 6.

It has been revealed that the theme for this year’s event is ‘Sporting Heroes’.

The Deeping Raft Race is always a hugely popular summer event.

Organisers are confident such a broad theme will provide potential entrants with plentiful ideas:

“You and your crew might be the Jamaican bobsleigh team, the England World Cup winners of 1966, or the much more recent Euro winners, The Lionesses,” they said.

“Or perhaps you could just be your local darts team.”

In addition to providing myriad options in the fancy dress and raft design stakes, organisers hope it will offer “a great challenge for your sports team to challenge competitors in a different way.”

The Deeping Raft Race has a different theme each. This year, entrants are being asked to design their rafts and don fancy dress in the theme of 'Sporting Heroes'.

“So we may have a cricket club taking on a rugby team,” organisers speculate, “or the bowls club versus the tennis club.”

Though rafters and spectators alike are encouraged to embrace the theme and don fancy dress, race organisers emphasise it is by no means essential.

“Building your raft and dressing to fit with the theme is great fun,” they said, “but it’s not compulsory - plain rafts are welcome, too.”

Aside from the water-based fun, the much-loved family fun day – which is free for spectators to attend – will have a funfair and a variety of stalls stretching from Bridge Street in Deeping St James to the centre of Market Deeping.

Festivities kick off at 11am with the first race scheduled to start at midday.

In addition to being a great day of fun and a hugely popular event, the Deepings Raft Race is a significant charity fundraising event.

Indeed, the annual fixture has raised many thousands of pounds for various local charities over the years.

In addition to the Exotic Pet Refuge and the Carers Sitters Service, this year’s race will also be making donations to the Deepings Community Leisure Centre Project and the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance.

Visit www.deepingsraftrace.co.uk to enter a team and find out more.

Deepings Raft Race 2023: raft applications open and this year’s theme revealed