Hobart Water Awareness Festival

state-flag-indianaInterested in paddling one of the most spectacular rivers in Northwest Indiana? The Hobart Water Awareness Festival offers a free day of family fun, games and activities, and a great time exploring beautiful Deep River. The Northwest Indiana Paddling Association is sponsoring the first Deep River Family Paddling Event, part of the festival. The event will take place at Festival Park on June 22, 2013, from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. The event will dedicate the opening of Deep River as one of Northwest Indiana’s network of outstanding water trails.

The paddle will begin at the Rugby Field across from Festival Park and end at Riverview Park in Lake Station, 3.5 miles downstream. The paddling tour is designed to be an optimal distance for new paddlers, families, as well as seasoned canoeists and kayakers. Participants will have the opportunity to witness one of the best birding areas on Northwest Indiana; home to a wide range of water fowl, herons, raptors, songbirds, and shorebirds.

A bus has been rented to assist participants with shuttling from the finish to Festival Park prior to the start of the paddle. For paddlers wishing to use the shuttle, please read the following instructions:

1) First, arrive at Festival Park in Hobart between 11:00 – 11:30. Register and to drop off your boat at the starting area. Address: 111 E. Old Ridge Road, Hobart, IN.

2) Second, drive to our endpoint to leave your vehicles in our secure location at Riverview Park in Lake Station. Address: 2701 Ripley Street, Lake Station, IN.

3) At Riverview Park a shuttle will meet you and take you to our starting point back at Festival Park to begin the paddle. There will be no shuttle buses available after 1:00 pm (central).

For those without boats, a limited number of canoes and kayaks can be rented from the Northwest Indiana Paddling Association. To reserve a boat, please go to www.nwipa.org/deepriver2013.html to R.S.V.P. for the paddle. A suggested $10 donation is greatly appreciated for use of the canoes and kayaks.

For further information, please contact Dan Plath: dplath@NWIPA.org, (219)871-9559 or visit www.NWIPA.org.