Paddle, Paddle, Paddle! into the Sixth Annual Catawba Riverfest

 2008 Catawba Riverfest

For the sixth year, the Catawba Riverfest will be held along the banks of the Catawba River at Bud Geitner Park in Hickory, NC on September 13, 2008, from 10 am-3 pm.  The event will host canoe and kayak races for all ages, exhibits by organizations with a river-related focus, Eco tours of Lake Hickory by the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation, live music and good food . This fun-filled and educational event is free and open to the public.

Valuable prizes will be awarded to the winners of exciting canoe and kayak races held on the river in front of the park. Categories will be canoe and kayak, solo and tandem, and under/over 12 years of age. To take part in the competition, you must bring your own boat and life jacket and register by 11.  Other water derby highlights:

 -For those without a boat, Confluence Sports of Easley, SC and Current Designs of Winona MN will have a trailer loads of canoes and kayaks that you can test paddle, free of charge. Life jackets must be worn. This has been a big hit of the festival over the last several years, allowing prospective boat owners the opportunity to actually paddle several different styles before buying. Riverfest officials are grateful to Outdoor Supply of Hickory for making this possible.

-Another popular feature of the festival is the “Canoe Basics”  course offered free throughout the day,  to children who want to learn about paddling, by the Ace, home schooled 4-H Dragonflies.

Of course, the primary focus of the festival is to draw attention to the natural resources and health of the Catawba River Basin. The sponsors of Riverfest are making a concerted effort with this event to remind the public that we all live in this watershed and we all have an influence on our local environment. So the question arises, “How we can be better stewards of the Catawba River, our most important natural resource?”  This year’s exhibitors, from across the region, will be ready to share information about our natural resources and discuss important environmental issues and programs in the Catawba River Basin,

An impressive list of non-profit, governmental and educational groups will be present at the festival.  Carolina Raptor Center will again bring their prestigious show of live hawks, owls and eagles up close. A hands-on nature demonstration will be presented by the Catawba Science Center and the Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation will be offering free Eco Tours of Lake Hickory in the Riverkeeper’s patrol boat. The Wildlife Resource Commission Fisheries Biologists will be collecting fish in the river with their Electrofishing Boat.

Other exhibitors include Duke Energy’s Lake Management, NC Cooperative Extension Services, Western Piedmont Council of Governments, Master Gardeners, Catawba County Parks and Recreation, NC Parks and Recreation, Catawba Soil and Water Conservation, NC Science House, Carolina Bird Club, Catawba Valley Outing Club, Carolina Reptile Rescue Center, Catawba Valley Paddle Trails Association,  NC Wildlife Resources Commission,  NC Division of Air Quality, The Carolina Thread Trail, the

Catawba Lands Conservancy and others.

In addition to the water races and exhibits, there will live, hard-driving bluegrass music all day from Strictly Clean and Decent of Lenoir. This will be the band’s sixth appearance at the festival.

And so festival goers and paddlers won’t go hungry from all the excitement, Brian Rollins and Co. will be baking wood-fired brick oven pizzas at modest prices that are quite delicious!  Other food vendors will also be present.

Parking for the festival will be allowed on 12^th St, at the entrance of the park. In the spirit of conservation while getting some exercise at the same time, a better option would be to paddle in, ride your bike or hike into the park on the greenway, especially if you live on the lake or close by.

The 2008 Catawba Riverfest is FREE to the public and is sponsored by the Catawba Valley Heritage Alliance, the City of Hickory, Western Piedmont Council of Governments, Reese Institute for Conservation at Lenoir-Rhyne College, and Duke Energy. For more information call 828-465-2755 or go to www.heritagealliance.org