The annual Buckhannon RiverFest Celebration of Our Water will take place on Saturday August 24, 2024 at Buckhannon Riverwalk Park. We invite community members to partake in paddling, educational activities, arts and crafts, fantastic music from the Elk River Ramblers, and an Interfaith Water Blessing. All activities are free and open to the public. This is a family friendly event, and there are youth specific activities. Most of the activities will take place at Buckhannon Riverwalk Park, 54 Wood St., Buckhannon WV.
Each year, the Mountain Lakes Preservation Alliance and the Buckhannon River Watershed Association co-organize this free community gathering. Held annually along the banks of the Buckhannon River, we celebrate our water and its life-sustaining qualities.
Our celebrations will kick off with a community paddle on the Buckhannon River from Hampton to Riverwalk on Saturday morning. This is a 4.5-mile flatwater paddle and is beginner/family friendly. Paddlers will drop boats, gear, and passengers at Hampton between 9 – 10 AM and then drive their cars to Riverwalk Park. We will provide a shuttle from Riverwalk Park back to Hampton at 9:30 AM and 10:15 AM. The Hampton Access Site is located south of Buckhannon. Follow Rt. 20 out of town, turn left onto Sago Road, and follow the brown Public Stream Access Signs.
At 10 AM, celebrations will begin at Riverwalk Park. The WVDNR will be offering a fish survey demonstration at the Riverwalk Park boat launch, showcasing electrofishing, a scientific survey method used to sample fish populations. Beginner friendly Water Flow Yoga hosted by Lisa Gum will also start at 10 AM at Riverwalk Park, stretching the body and relaxing the mind.
Adjacent to the Riverwalk Park boat ramp, our Wonderful World of Water educational exhibits will host interactive and informational activities exploring fish of the Buckhannon River, macroinvertebrates, water quality and acid mine drainage, freshwater mussels, watersheds, plants and culture, properties of water, flooding, and water conservation.
Other activities include collaborative arts and crafts such as painting on the Traveling Tapestry of Clean Water. There will also be a Scavenger Hunt to be completed at the park for a chance to win prizes. Live music featuring Seth Maynard and the Elk River Ramblers starts at noon. The music is powered by solar energy. Free bagged lunches will be available courtesy of Free Meals Appalachia. Pizza from Sam’s Pizza will also be served.
From 11 AM – 3:30 PM free kayaks and paddle boards will be available from the Riverwalk Park boat launch. These are available first come first serve. Beginner instruction is available. This is the perfect opportunity to try paddling on the Buckhannon River if you are a beginner.
The day will conclude with an Interfaith Water Blessing. Participants are asked to bring a sample of their “home” water from a local river, creek, or from the faucet to contribute. During the ceremony, we will blend all the water together, and we offer some prayers to the water, and then we return some of that water to the Buckhannon River.
Buckhannon RiverFest is held annually to celebrate clean water, healthy recreation, and our community. The Buckhannon River is the only municipal source of drinking water in Upshur County, and we must do everything we can to protect it. This year is the 8th annual event. RiverFest was founded by, and is now held in memory of, April Pierson Keating, a local advocate for healthier environments and communities.
