The 49th Head of the Charles Regatta gets underway this weekend, and while the race course only stretches from the Eliot Bridge to the BU boathouse, the event always sprawls onto the river’s banks. Parking restrictions are already in effect at the following locations, and will remain so until Sunday evening:

• Soldiers Field Road Lots 1-4, from 10pm Wednesday to 8pm Sunday
• Memorial Drive (westbound from 940 Memorial Drive to Mt. Auburn St.), from 8am Saturday to 9pm Sunday
• Cambridge Boat Club (Gerry’s Landing at Memorial Drive), from 10pm Wednesday to 8pm Sunday

You should also expect some disruption related to the Head of the Charles if you’re a commuter who uses one of the following roads:

• Soldiers Field Road (westbound from Western Ave. to N. Harvard St.), right lane closed 8am Saturday to 6pm Sunday
• Soldiers Field Road (Herter Lot No. 2), right lane closed 6am to 6pm both Saturday and Sunday
• Memorial Drive (between Western Ave. and Fresh Pond Parkway), completely closed, Saturday 9am-6pm and Sunday from 9am until cleanup is finished

Teams will be completing their final load-in on Friday, October 18 from 6am-3pm, and DCR officials anticipate some light traffic snarls as a result. But with all that being said—go to Head of the Charles! It’s a fantastic event that features some of the best athletes on the planet, and it’s one of the quintessential fall-in-New-England activities that everyone needs to try at least once. Admission is absolutely free, but as WBZ put it, “Avoid driving at all costs.”