Stand-up paddlers will have to wait until 2017 for Race the Lake of the Sky to return, but they’ll still have a chance to come together and celebrate this weekend.

The Gathering of the Tribes takes place Saturday, June 25, and is a temporary replacement for Race the Lake of the Sky, which has attracted hundreds of competitive paddlers to El Dorado Beach for the past four years.

South Tahoe Standup Paddle’s move to 3135 Harrison Ave. scuttled this year’s Race the Lake of the Sky, so the Gathering of the Tribes was created as an alternative for those who had already booked travel plans, said Mike Muir, who is helping organize the event with South Tahoe Standup Paddle.

The event will be a scaled down version of Race the Lake of the Sky, he said.

“This is just a special one because all those people are coming up here,” Muir said Wednesday.

The gathering will include a 2.5-mile stand-up paddle race for all ages and ability levels.

Registration opens at 2 p.m. Race starts at 3:30 p.m. The race costs $25 to enter and is free to spectate.

A party celebrating the soft opening of South Tahoe Standup Paddle’s new location will follow the race at 6:30 p.m.

South Tahoe Standup Paddle is planning two additional paddle events for the summer, but details have not yet been announced, Muir said.

Race the Lake of the Sky and popular Wednesday night paddle races are expected to return in 2017, he added.

El Dorado Beach is located at the intersection of Lakeview Avenue and U.S. Highway 50 in South Lake Tahoe.

More information is available at http://www.facebook.com/racethelakeofthesky.