Greater Cincinnati’s
Paddlefest event, which attracts 2,000 canoers and kayakers to the Ohio River each year, is undergoing a number of changes in 2016, including a new date, a different route, route guides and a new sponsor. The 15th annual Paddlefest will be held on Aug. 6, nearly a month later than usual.
Paddlefest was postponed last year due to heavy rains that flooded the Ohio River. By moving the event to later in the summer, organizers hope to avoid the rainier months.
Paddlefest will be a bit longer this year, with an 8.9-mile trip that takes participants under all six Ohio River bridges in Cincinnati. The event will start at Schmidt Recreation Complex in the East End and end with a celebration at Gilday Park in Riverside, with a mid-point stop in Covington. In previous years, Paddlefest started at Coney Island and ended at the Public Landing downtown and was 8.4 miles long.
Guides will also be positioned along the river at the mouths of the Licking River and Mill Creek to help paddlers who are interested in exploring the tributaries.
Outdoor Adventure Clubs of Greater Cincinnati is the new organizer of Paddlefest, which was founded by Brewster Rhoads, former director of
Green Umbrella, in 2001. He remains the event’s executive director, and Green Umbrella will still run the
Kids Outdoor Adventure Expo on July 22. That event will be held at Winton Woods this year rather than Coney Island.
Registration is now open for Paddlefest, with an early bird rate of $35. Rates will increase as the date gets closer, and if you need to rent a kayak or canoe, do it soon because the number of boats is limited.
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