Submitted photo
A group of kayakers paddle their way down the Buckhannon River during last year’s Buckhannon RiverFest hosted by the Buckhannon Watershed Association.
BUCKHANNON — A host of activities and educational exhibits will highlight the eighth annual Buckhannon RiverFest being held today.
The event, which takes place in and along the Buckhannon River, is hosted by the Buckhannon River Watershed Association. The celebration will get underway at 10 a.m. with a community paddle at the Riverwalk Park Boat Ramp, next to West Virginia Wesleyan College.
“Those taking part in the paddle can use anything that floats without a motor,” Buckhannon River Watershed Association Chairperson Lisa Gum told The Inter-Mountain. “It is a community paddle and everyone is welcome. We have paddle boards and kayaks available for free for people to use, so they don’t have to bring their own equipment. We will also have a shuttle that is running from the Hampton Access point to River Walk Park.”
Those taking part in the 4.5-mile flatwater paddle on the Buckhannon River will meet at 9 a.m. at the Hampton Access point, which is located south of Buckhannon on the Sago Road. Beginner-friendly Water Flow Yoga, hosted by Gum, will also start at 10 a.m. at Riverwalk Park, as will a Fish Survey Demonstration conducted by the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources.
“The DNR is going to do an electro shock during their demonstration which paralyzes the fish,” Gum said. “By doing that they get to count the population of different types of fish in the Buckhannon River. So it’s really going to be a neat demonstration.”
Vendors and educational exhibits will open at 11 a.m. and will be accompanied by music from the Elk River Ramblers, who will begin playing at noon.
Adjacent to the Riverwalk Park boat ramp, the Wonderful World of Water Educational Exhibits will feature informational activities exploring fish, macroinvertebrates, water quality, acid mine drainage, freshwater mussels, watersheds, plants and culture, properties of water, flooding and water conservation. Activities and exhibits are scheduled to run through the day until 3:30 p.m.
“We are so excited about the collaboration among different organizations,” Gum said. “We have FEMA, the DNR, the DEP, West Virginia Rivers, and many more organizations attending this year’s event. We are also going to have arts and crafts, tapestries, painting, and one thing that is really cool is that a science teacher from Upshur County of 30 years, Julia Brady, is going to be doing an ice cream activity where the kids get to make ice cream.
“We are just really excited that everyone wants to come out and support the efforts of the Watershed Association and the community.”
Buckhannon RiverFest is held annually to celebrate clean water, healthy recreation and the local community. The event was founded by, and is now held in the memory of, April Pierson Keating, a local advocate for healthier environments and communities.
For more information about the Buckhannon River Watershed Association, visit the organization’s Facebook page.