|
RiverRocks: Activities for All Ages While "Something fun for everyone!" is the kind of slogan that can get thrown around lightly, it truly applies to RiverRocks. The new 10-day festival launching this October celebrates the outdoors and encourages people to appreciate nature and enjoy being active, with dozens of events that appeal to different ages and interests. Boomers will especially enjoy the variety of ways to stay active while supporting Chattanooga's community conservation efforts. It was a deliberate decision on the part of Mike McGauley, founder of RiverRocks. To ensure the festival had broad and long-lasting appeal, it needed to be accessible to everyone. "It was important to have high level competition, as well as amateur competition for fun, and entry level activities for beginners and especially kids," McGauley says, adding, "The sky's the limit in terms of age." It is also a multi-generational event, so it appeals to extended families. The festival is a collection of activities -- hikes, yoga, races, ziplining, climbing and bouldering, kayaking and canoeing, cycling, hot air balloon rides, as well as entertainment and food -- all hosted by different organizations. There are too many events for any one person to attend, but Sterling takes a look at a few of the RiverRocks activities that are sure to interest festivalgoers of varying experience and activity levels, from those who want to compete in sporting events to those who would rather take a leisurely walk-and everyone in between. Active on the Trail Part of the reason for forming RiverRocks was to create activities that would bring people outdoors and encourage fitness and an awareness of nature. "We're showing why it's important to conserve acreage for future generations, and why it's important to get out and have a healthy lifestyle," McGauley says. The Chattanooga Hiking Club is conducting 11 hikes during RiverRocks. Lulu Lake Land Trust, Stringer's Ridge, Cumberland Trail, Signal Mountain, Greenway Farms, Lookout Mountain, Pot Point Loop and Reflection Riding Arboretum and Botanical Garden are just some of the locations of the hikes. Most of them are between two and four miles, and all of them are tied to a conservation effort by one of the festival's beneficiary organizations. The Hiking Club is joining the local chapter of the Tennessee Trails Association to organize hikes. All of the hike leaders are familiar with the area and are experienced, ensuring that everyone in the group will be safe and will enjoy the hike. Richard Park, member of the Chattanooga Hiking Club and organizer of the RiverRocks hikes, says area hikes help showcase the beauty of the Tennessee River Valley and encourage the community to preserve it. "We're so fortunate to have so many places around here," Park says. "We have so much available so close to use, and there is a real interest in conserving and using those natural resources." Kevin Calhoon, assistant curator of forests at the Aquarium, will host a birding walk at the Brainerd Levee. The walk is for both beginning and advanced birders, and Calhoun will point out bird varieties and their behavior, as well as explain the importance of the marshland around the levee. Naturalist Bill Haley, outreach coordinator at the Aquarium, will lead a relaxed nature walk at Reflection Riding and point out types of birds, butterflies and plants. Professional nature photographers, Tom and Pat Cory, will lead workshops with hands-on instruction on such topics as setting up shots, composition and design, and tips on photographing in nature. One of the workshops, called Picture the Aquarium, will send workshop participants to both buildings in the Aquarium and teach them to photograph the Aquarium's fish, butterflies, birds and other wildlife. Active on the River For those who would like to spend some time on the water, Outdoor Chattanooga is organizing a variety of river activities. The Canoe Experience is a canoe and kayak race downriver from the Chickamauga Dam to Ross' Landing, about seven and a half miles. Categories will range from serious racers to recreational paddlers. After the race, Outdoor Chattanooga will serve a Southern-style barbecue feast and encourage racers to head to the annual 3 Sisters Bluegrass Festival, occurring at the same time as RiverRocks. Other seasonal activities taking place during RiverRocks include the popular Wine Over Water annual fundraiser for Cornerstones and the weekly Chattanooga Market. The Sunset Paddles are excursions that will offer participants the chance to view the sunset from the water. Some paddle trips extend from South Chickamauga Creek to downtown, and others from under the Market Street Bridge around McLellan Island and back. The Tennessee Aquarium will provide its River Gorge Explorer for a Civil War Cruise. The cruise, led by Jim Ogden, historian with the Chickamauga National Park, will head upriver and Ogden will point out historically significant locations, such as the sites of General Sherman's battles, and give perspectives on both sides of the Civil War, as well as the area's rich Native American history. For those interested in volunteering on the water, the Aquarium is sponsoring Walk the Talk for the River, a river rescue project at Ross's Landing. Volunteers can help clean up the river and preserve its important ecosystem while making it more beautiful for the many participants of RiverRocks. Mike McGauley says that with such broad appeal, the festival has an exciting future ahead of it, and he hopes that in time, it can become a nationally recognized festival. Richard Park shares his excitement. "I hope it will go on forever and improve every time," Park says. "I think for Chattanooga, this is a really good thing." For more information about RiverRocks, including the many other activities offered during the festival, visit www.RiverRocksChattanooga.com.
|
Like what you just read?
