Paddlefest

This is a great event, and I will definitely be adding it to my yearly summer events list. The initial June 2015 event was canceled due to weather, which is unfortunate for some people but great for me because I wasn’t able to make the original date. They rescheduled for the first weekend in August, and it was the perfect day to be out on the water.
I think what stands out the most about this event is that it is super organized. We showed up at 7:30 am at Coney Island and dropped off our boats at a drop sight near the water. We then registered (pre-​registry is unnecessary), slapped a tag on our boats, and then dragged our boats down to the water. They had a ton of volunteers helping everyone launch and then the coast guard was present all along the course. The river is shut down to all other traffic so essentially Paddlefest is the only opportunity to enjoy the entirety of the Ohio Rive without having to worry about getting killed by barges or drunk boaters. The course was a little over 8 miles but it really didn’t feel all that long. It was super relaxing and a great opportunity to meet new people.
The course ends at Sawyer Point and volunteers babysit the boats as you grab some free food and then take a shuttle back to Coney Island to get your car. You can then return to Sawyer Point at your leisure to pick up your boat. It’s a great event that is highly attended. I highly recommend it.
Sidenote: they also have a race for people crazy enough to want to do that. Not my thing.

We’ve paddled in this event 3 times, it’s well organized and lots of fun. My favorite part of Paddlefest is the Friday night music festival. It’s not usually crowded, great beer selection and they book a nice variety of bands. I look forward to it every year.

Although I didn’t participate in what is one of the largest paddling event in the country, I did look out over the Ohio River to see lots of people paddling the 8.2 mile route on a recent Saturday morning from Coney Island to the Serpentine Wall in Cincinnati.
This year’s festival was the 7^th annual for canoes and kayaks to participate. The festivities included events at Coney Island the night before and more celebration at the conclusion of the event downtown.