Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Good turnout expected for SWIRDC Wabash Heritage Paddle Fest
|
Participants in the Wabash Heritage Paddle Fest, to be held Saturday, August 6, will paddle their canoes 9.7 miles along the Wabash River from Grayville, Illinois, to New Harmony, Indiana. Canoe floats will begin at 11 a.m., noon, and 1 p.m., in Grayville. “We’re expecting a lot of people, and there are many activities going on in New Harmony and Grayville that day, too,” said Nancy Burns, executive director of the Southwestern Indiana Regional Development Commission (SWIRDC). Burns was among a group that scouted the route in May. Made up of experienced and novice paddlers, the group took three hours to get from Grayville to New Harmony. The trip was required in order for the event to be sanction by the American Canoe Association. “We took the map of the river and checked to make sure the sand bars are where they’re supposed to be; checked the access roads; and decided where the three rescue dive teams will be,” Burns said. “The water was high, because we’d just had the spring rains, and on that particular day the wind was blowing toward us instead of behind us. It was tough paddling,” Burns said. “But it’s a beautiful trip. Everything is pristine. It’s like it had to have been when the first settlers came.” Activities highlighting the history of the Wabash will be held in Grayville and New Harmony. “People do not think about the historic significance of the rivers surrounding us,” Burns said. “The Wabash River actually drains two-thirds of Indiana’s 92 counties and flows over 475 miles to its confluence with the Ohio at the edge of Posey County.” There will be demonstrations of historic activities such as bread baking, butter churning, weaving, rope making, and more, on the grounds of the Atheneum in New Harmony. There also will be music from The Red Bank Reunion Band and children’s games. Canoe Evansville will lead canoeing classes including Yoga for Boaters, Canoeing with Kids, and a Quickstart Class for beginning paddlers. Tom Straw, a retired Western Michigan University geology professor, will lead a historic tour. “Tom is the consummate New Harmony historian. He will leads groups on a trail near the riverbanks, show points of interest, and talk about the early settlers,” Burns said. “It’s good quality fun.” Burns is encouraging those interested to register as soon as possible by going to www.swirdc.org. Scroll down and click on "Register online." Call Burns at 812/465-7067 for more information. Registration begins in both New Harmony and Grayville at 8 a.m. and is $20 for adults and $12 for children under 12. Two buses will provide transportation between New Harmony and Grayville every half hour. Canoe rental will be available for $20 or participants may bring their own canoes. Personal canoes will be transported back to Grayville from New Harmony. The event is sponsored by the Gibson County Visitors and Tourism Bureau, CLIF Bar, Fire & Rain marketing company, and Warrick County, Indiana, and sanctioned by the American Canoe Association. SWIRDC staff is housed at the University of Southern Indiana, which provides management support for and facilitates the economic and workforce development initiatives of the Commission. |
Copyright © 2013 University of Southern Indiana. All rights reserved.