Labor Day weekend in the San Bernardino Mountains is filled with music and water-play fun at Big Bear Lakefest.
Ski Beach at Big Bear Lake is home to water events, live music performances, food vendors, and more. Registration opens Sunday, Sept. 1, at 5:30 a.m. and the water racing events get underway at 6:30 a.m. Events and activities take place throughout the day and wrap at 8 p.m.
Saturday morning, an open water swim race was held, and according to bigbear.com, it was the the first-ever held on the lake. The one-mile race started at Swim Beach, went out to Eagle Point and back to Ski Beach Park, where the weekend’s festivities were taking place.
Relay races on a kayak, a paddleboard, or other paddle boat were also part of the action both weekend days, along with live music.
Nicholas Cutidioc of North Lake crosses the finish line in second place during the open water swim race event on saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, at Big Bear Lakefest. (Photo by Eric Reed, Contributing photographer)
Alison and Danny Hough of Lake Forrest run to the finish line in second place during the paddlefest race on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, at Big Bear Lakefest in the San Bernardino Mountains. (Photo by Eric Reed, Contributing photographer)
Friends and family cheer swimmers to the finish line during the open water swim race in Big Bear Lake on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, at Lakefest. (Photo by Eric Reed, Contributing photographer)
Volunteer Ernst Mueller helps direct the swimmers from a paddle board on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, during the open water swim race at Big Bear Lakefest. (Photo by Eric Reed, Contributing photographer)
Kaelan Oldani of Pasadena crosses the finish line in first place on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, following the open water swim race at Big Bear Lakefest in the San Bernardino Mountains. (Photo by Eric Reed, Contributing photographer)
Swimmers enter the water of Big Bear Lake before dawn on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, during the open water race at Big Bear Lakefest. (Photo by Eric Reed, Contributing photographer)
Paddle boarders and kayakers race on Big Bear Lake on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, during the Labor Day weekend’s Big Bear Lakefest. (Photo by Eric Reed, Contributing photographer)
Alex Gradillas of Big Bear Lake prepares his kayak before his race on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, at Big Bear Lakefest in the San Bernardino Mountains. (Photo by Eric Reed, Contributing photographer)
Friends and family gather to watch the swimmers during the open water swim race in Big Bear Lake on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, at Lakefest in the San Bernardino Mountains. (Photo by Eric Reed, Contributing photographer)
Richard Cantin of Anaheim in first place during the paddlefest race on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, at Big Bear Lakefest in the San Bernardino Mountains. (Photo by Eric Reed, Contributing photographer)
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Nicholas Cutidioc of North Lake crosses the finish line in second place during the open water swim race event on saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, at Big Bear Lakefest. (Photo by Eric Reed, Contributing photographer)
