We're in luck.

It's Father's Day weekend, and the inaugural Oklahoma Riverfest at Regatta Park will use the Oklahoma River for the Dragon Boat Challenge, the Rose Rock Rowing Regatta, music by the University of Central Oklahoma Jazz Band Music Festival, the Oklahoma Centennial Barbecue Championship with categories for professionals and amateurs, miniature floating submarine races to benefit several organizations including the USS Oklahoma Memorial at Pearl Harbor, children's events and displays by Oklahoma wineries and brewpubs.

The 2006 and 2007 Oklahoma Riverfests are state centennial events.

Mike McAuliffe, Oklahoma Riverfest chairman, worked with former mayors Andy Coats and Ron Norick and, for a short time, managed the Civic Center Music Hall. All that made him a good choice to put together this event.

"MAPS and the River Authority always had a good relationship," McAuliffe said. "I've been to Memphis in May, and with the events in Tulsa on the Arkansas River, it's time we had a river festival here, and this year and next are the perfect time to get it started."

Norick handed McAuliffe a brochure about dragon boats and talked about a barbecue festival.

Dragon boats have 20 paddlers who row to the beat of a drummer seated in the bow of the boat. The bow is adorned with a colorful carved dragon head, and the boats are festively decorated. Companies and individuals will sponsor dragon boat race teams Saturday, but Sunday it's strictly father/daughter and father/son races.

The Rose Rock Regatta pits some of the best rowing teams in Oklahoma and surrounding states.

Also, individual kayaks can be rented during the festival.

The most people-friendly event, with some of the most fun and great prizes, happens at the daily 6 p.m. daily "Race for Navy" submarine races. The USS Oklahoma City Submarine Races feature 10,000 miniature floating replicas of the USS Oklahoma City submarine. Saturday's race benefits the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma River Foundation and the Oklahoma Boathouse Foundation.

All the proceeds of Sunday's race go to the Oklahoma City Navy League/USS Oklahoma Memorial.

The Oklahoma City Navy League is one of the most active Navy leagues in the country.

Grand prizes for the submarine owners include a personal watercraft from the Oklahoma City Boat Dealers Association on Saturday, and a trip for two to Hawaii provided by Bentley Hedges Travel in Sunday's race. The 10-day trip includes a 7-day cruise of the islands and a VIP invitation to the groundbreaking ceremony for the USS Oklahoma Memorial at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 2006.

Saturday, other prizes include a big-screen television, a personal computer, a weekend package at the Renaissance Oklahoma City Hotel, an iPod, Oklahoma RedHawks tickets and Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz tickets.

Sunday prizes are a personal computer, a digital camera, a Renaissance hotel package, an iPod and a tickets package.

Special guests at Oklahoma Riverfest are USS Oklahoma City Cmdr. Ed Mayer and several crew members making their first visit to Oklahoma.

"I'm originally from New Jersey but am stationed in Virginia Beach now," Mayer said in a phone interview. "Visiting the namesake of our ship is like coming home."

The USS Oklahoma City is a Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine. Mayer explained that today's submarines are bigger than those seen in World War II movies.

"It's 340 feet long and 32 feet in diameter," he said. "It's in drydock now, but we will deploy in early 2007 to the Arabian Gulf, where we'll be stationed six months -- under way 30 to 40 days at a time underwater, about a week on leave."

Mayer has been to Pearl Harbor and has seen the other memorials.

Mayer and the other men visiting Oklahoma City are looking forward to seeing the Oklahoma River, the Oklahoma City National Memorial and the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

Oklahoma Riverfest 2006 major sponsors are Chesapeake, 7-Up, The Oklahoman, Oklahoma Centennial, Capital, University of Central Oklahoma Jazz Lab, Race for Navy, Image Action, Oklahoma City University Redevelopment Authority and Lamar Outdoor Advertising.