Saturday, July 11, 2009
Tapawingo Park, West Lafayette
9 a.m. — 5 p.m.
- Riverfest is a family-friendly event (admission is free!) that features live music, children’s entertainment, educational exhibits, food, and thrilling canoe races! Learn more about Riverfest.
- Riverfest brings people to the shores of the Wabash to celebrate local history and one of the area’s greatest natural resources. About the Wabash River.
- New race teams welcome! Gather a team of 9 paddlers (co-workers, family, or friends). We’ll set up your opponent, or you can challenge a rival business or organization, or sponsor two teams to compete for bragging rights. Join the Races!
- To sign up your team, contact Riverfest at teamsignup@wabashriverfest.com.
About Riverfest
Riverfest began in 2001 to promote greater awareness of the role the mighty Wabash River has played in the history and culture of our community and to highlight the natural beauty, recreational opportunities, and other advantages it offers us today.
Riverfest features food, music and plenty of activities for children. A special feature is the presence of various environmental groups with displays and information on responsible use of the river and other natural resources.
2009 Participants Include:
- Dulcimer Gathering
- SAMI
- Banks of the Wabash/INPAWS
- NICHES/Sycamore Audubon Society
- Wabash River Enhancement Corporation
- www.IndianaoOutfitters.com
- Farm Safety 4 Just Kids
- Lafayette Zoo
- Indiana Wildlife Federation
- Tippecanoe County SWCD
- Joe White, Balloon Artist
- More kids games and activities
Want to join Riverfest with an activity or exhibit? Contact Megan Benage.
Fun for Everyone!
Riverfest is a family friendly event. Admission is free! Join us and spend a peaceful and pleasant day on the banks of our Wabash River.
We're Going Green!
Riverfest is certified by the Go Greener Commission of West Lafayette. Learn more at www.gogreenerevents.org.
How to Get to Riverfest:
- BUS: The Wabash Trolley Line provides FREE transportation to Riverside Skating Center at Tapawingo Park. Learn more at http://www.gocitybus.com/trolley.html
- BIKE: Bike West Lafayette's trails and bicycle lanes to Tapawingo Park. View the map here: http://parks.city.west-lafayette.in.us/07_trailsmap.pdf (Riverfest is located at #12.)
- DRIVE: Limited parking is available at Tapawingo Park. Additional parking is available at the Wabash Landing parking garage across Tapawingo Drive.
About the Wabash River
The part of North America in which we live was once a vast wilderness of mostly forest, almost impenetrable by anyone other than the Native Americans who had lived here for centuries.
The demand for quality furs, however, brought European trappers in search of the abundant beaver and other fur bearing animals that were so plentiful in this area. These trappers were dependent on the services of a hale and hardy breed of wilderness pioneer, the Voyageur, to provide transport of supplies in and pelts out from this densely wooded land. Those pelts were taken along our waterways to Canada and out the St. Lawrence en route to markets throughout Europe.
The Voyageurs worked hard and they played hard. They ate, they drank, they sang songs, they played competitive games, and they raced their canoes.
Today you can see replicas of the Voyageur canoes being raced on the Wabash once again by trappers and traders, but by bankers, firefighters, city workers, and many others who love to compete and who love the river. You could be one of them!
Sign Up to Paddle!
Riverfest offers a unique opportunity for you and your friends to become "voyageurs for a day," and paddle the majestic longboat in the very waters it cruised so many decades ago.
Picture yourself, along with a group of friends, business associates, or family members, reviving an ancient pastime practiced by some of the individuals who were instrumental in settling our area. You have the opportunity to race the great longboat against another department of your organization, perhaps a business competitor.
Riverfest, a celebration of the majesty and might of the Wabash, offers you a chance to paddle in Voyageur Canoes as a friendly challenge, as a team building exercise, as a morale booster for your staff, as a unique family outing, or just for the fun of it.
Entry fee is $250/team. Team members must be 14 years old and up.
To sign up your team, contact Riverfest at teamsignup@wabashriverfest.com.