What’s Portland RiverFest? And haven’t there been enough festivals this summer already?
NO. And I’m not too familiar with RiverFest myself, but I guarantee it will be better than that Bridge fest thing. There are community paddles, boat building, the River Fair, dragon boats, and a run on Sunday. Plus, the fire department shoots a lot of multi-colored water into the air (see above).
From the press release:
“Having the Willamette minutes away from wherever you live in Portland also means you’re just minutes away from some great canoeing or kayaking; fishing; spotting bald eagles, osprey, herons, or beaver; enjoying food and drink on river cruises; or just taking in awesome views of forested hills, sea-going freighters or city lights reflected in the country’s 13th largest river. There are lots of Willamettes to experience – just a walk, cycle or ride away. It would be hard to find such a variety of river fun than RiverFest.” says Rick Bastasch of the City of Portland ‘s Office of Healthy Working Rivers.
RiverFest allows Portland to celebrate one of the foundations of its economy and community, the Willamette River. Portlanders will get the opportunity to learn about important ecosystems and water health, promote economic activity on the river and enjoy the community with family-fun activities.
It all starts tomorrow with an endurance swim… For 12 miles. In the Willamette. Yikes! Check out the full schedule here.
Actually I heard from a source in the know that the fire department will not be shooting water in the air this year, because Amanda Fritz didn’t invite them to.
Yeah, I’m gonna miss Summerfest @ BRANX and Bacon Fest for this… BORING!
The fire department’s water display will be at 1pm on Saturday, the 21st between the Hawthorne and Morrison Bridge. There will also be a Coast Guard Search and Rescue demonstration at the same time with Jayhawk helicopter and rescue boat.