Blueway Festival: More than just paddling
The fourth annual Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival will offer most anyone a chance to be informed, enter events and sign up for activities … without picking up a paddle.
Although there will be plenty of opportunities to get inside a canoe or kayak, the 10-day festival from Oct. 23 through Nov. 1 has many land-oriented festivities as well as showcasing Southwest Florida’s waterways.
From eco-events to clinics and demonstrations to family activities and a hog roast, the blueway festival will highlight what is important about this special water sport.
“This year the festival is going to be better for several reasons,” said Betsy Clayton, waterways coordinator for Lee County Parks & Recreation. “It’s great that we have Fort Myers Beach in the mix. Last year we didn’t have a main event on the Beach but this year we’re please to have the kick-off event and Saturday activities there. It’s significant to have happenings on The Beach because it’s a great place to paddle.
“Another reason we’re anticipating a better year is because we’ve been savvier about what people want and expect. We have events for competitive and compassionate paddlers. We have eco-festival events and activities for people who are new to kayaking. We think since we three different audiences that we are targeting, that helps us sculpt an event that will be more enjoyable for more people.”
The festival, which is part of Islands Fall Fest, evolves around the Great Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail, a 190-mile marked-and-meandering saltwater trail that spans the Lee County coast from Bonita Springs to Pine Island and inland to Alva. The first weekend’s events surround the Fort Myers Beach area including the Blueway Beach Bash (guided walks through Matanzas Pass Preserve, a kids kayaking clinic at the Beach Pool and Bay Oaks Craft Corner activities) this Friday, and the festival’s main event with speakers and kayak demos located at the Mound House at the end of Connecticut Street, a Paddlers Reception at Pink Shell Resort and the Imperial River Race at Riverfront Park in Bonita. On Sunday, a Monofilament Madness Cleanup will take place on the Lee County waterways and a Paddlers Pig Roast Picnic will fill bellies at San Carlos RV Resort just off the island.
There will be fishing tournaments, guided tours to such places as historic Mound Key, a Calusa Costume Ball and bluegrass music to listen to.
Hotel accommodations are even offering special packages to travelers with paddle craft including ready-at-sunrise box lunches and access to ice machines and hoses.
“The Blueway Festival is putting Lee County waterways on the map,” said Cape Coral resident Lynette Brown. “I think people actually know about the paddling through the festival. The Blueway Paddling Trail is fabulous.
Brown is the safety officer for the Gulf Coast Backwater Paddlers, one of the clubs which will be well represented at the festival.
“The festival has something for everybody. All the outfitters and clubs can be involved. Our club will participate in as much down here as we can as far as the Blueway Festival is concerned.”
Interested participants can make a $10 donation to the trail and get a Blueway VIP Wristband to enjoy extra value at more than 80 Southwest Florida attractions, restaurants, galleries, shops and marine/outfitter locations. Call the festival hotline at 823-6335 or see the schedule online at www.CalusaBluewayPaddlingFestival.com. For Islands Fall Fest, go to www.fortmyers-sanibel.com.
BREAKOUT BOX SCHEDULE BY DATE
Here are some of the listed events for the Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival.
n Friday, Oct. 23: 5 to 7 p.m. – Blueway Beach Bash at Bay Oaks Recreation Center, Fort Myers Beach; 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. – Bonita Springs Fish Fry at Riverside Park.
n Saturday, Oct. 24: 9 a.m. – Imperial River Race, Riverfront Park, Bonita; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Blueway Fest main event with speakers and kayak demos at the Mound House; 5 p.m. Paddlers Reception at Pink Shell Resort;
n Sunday, Oct. 25: Safe light to noon – Monofilament Madness Cleanup in Lee County waterways; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. – Tarpon Point Geo-Paddle at Cape Coral’s Tarpon Point Marina; 2 p.m. 6 p.m. Paddlers Pig Roast Picnic at San Carlos RV Resort.
n Thursday, Oct. 29: 6:30 p.m. – Paddlers Reception at Hilton Garden Inn in South Fort Myers.
n Friday, Oct. 30: 9 a.m. – Upriver Speakers Series at Upriver RV Resort and Caloosahatchee Creeks Preserve in North Fort Myers; 7:30-11 p.m. – Calusa Costume Ball at Tarpon Lodge in Pine Island
n Saturday, Oct. 31: Safe light to 3 p.m. Catch-and-release kayak fishing tournament in Lee County waterways and Randell Research Center in Pineland;10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Blueway Fest main event at Randell; 5 p.m. – Paddlers Reception at Sun & The Moon Inn in Matlacha
n Sunday, Nov. 1: 9 a.m. – Paddle of the Pass canoe/kayak regatta in Matlacha Park; 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. – Bluegrass for the Blueway and Taste of Matlacha at Matlacha Park
ABOUT SOME OF THE EVENTS
Monofilament Madness: Rid the blueway of nasty discarded fishing line and join in Keep Lee County Beautiful’s annual waterway cleanup. Return to one of three sites to tally your trash and enjoy a free lunch. (Oct. 25)
Geocaching: Use a GPS for a modern-day treasure hunt at a Cape Coral-based waterfront event. The Resort at Marina Village/Tarpon Point. (Oct. 25)
Yak it up with fish: The annual catch-and-release fishing tournament kicks off Halloween weekend with a Prawn Broker captain’s meeting in Fort Myers and a tournament digital weigh-in at Randell Research Center in Pineland. (Oct. 30- 31)
Roll up your sleeves and race: Competitive events on the Imperial River kick off the festival with the annual Paddle of the Pass in Matlacha wrapping it up. (Oct. 24 and Nov. 1)
Explore cultural sites: Pick a Saturday and learn about the seafaring people for whom the blueway is named. Mound House on Fort Myers Beach and Randell Research Center at Pineland celebrate the Calusas and will be hubs for the festival’s two weekends with speakers, food, activities and eco-fun. (Oct. 24 and Oct. 31)
Nighttime fun: There’s practically something for every sunset. Join in a Gulf-front complimentary happy hour with Canoe & Kayak magazine and Sea Kayaker magazine at Pink Shell Resort on Fort Myers Beach, (Oct. 24); Dress up as a pirate, sea wench or native for the Calusa Costume Ball at Tarpon Lodge in Pine Island (Oct. 30); Enjoy Southern hospitality while raising funds to help a river at a Bonita Springs fish fry (Oct. 23); Blueway Beach Bash (Oct. 23).
Club happenings: Bring a boat or just yourself for the picnic and pig roast for kayaking clubs and enthusiasts from around the Southeast (Oct. 25); Hear from the first kayak circumnavigator of Florida (Oct. 24); Meet the man who mapped the trail (Oct. 25); Bluegrass and raffles, socializing and sunset paddling at San Carlos RV Park & Island Resort (Oct. 25).
Comparison in numbers
2008 Festival numbers
$41,000 grant money secured for out-of-area festival marketing from TDC
13,481 visitors to CalusaBluewayPaddlingFestival.com (33 percent increase)
254 room nights generated during festival (112 percent increase)
2007 Festival numbers
$38,000 grant money secured for out-of-area festival marketing from TDC
9,023 visitors to CalusaBluewayPaddlingFestival.com
111 room nights generated during festival