Blueway Fest paddles out to Gulf waters and land
Your deserve a good paddling, so join other paddle craft enthusiasts and other festival goers at the 2010 Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival from Friday, Oct. 29 through Sunday, Nov. 7.
Noted as a premier paddling festival in Lee County and one which Southeast Tourism Society has recognized as one of its Top 20 events, the 10-day festival
offers nature experiences, kayaking and canoeing, ecological family activities, paddling races, a fishing tournament, geocaching, green events, paddlers’ get-togethers and informative seminars with speakers, presenters and instructors.
For a day-by-day detailed schedule of the festival, go online at www.CalusaBluewayPaddlingFestival.com.
The fifth-annual Calusa Blueway Paddling Festival is coordinated by Lee County Parks & Recreation and will feature nearly 100 activities and events throughout Lee County and along the Calusa Blueway Paddling Trail (a 190-mile marked-and-meandering saltwater trail on Southwest Florida’s coast).
Regarded as a premier canoeing and kayaking destination, the Gulf waters of Lee County will be alive with paddling activities. Many paddling clubs will hold instruction classes and county communities will come together for fun, reception-style events.
From the kick-off party at The Pawnbroker Restaurant in Fort Myers from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29, to a Paddlers’ Reception at Bonita Bill’s Waterfront Cafe from 5 to 6:30 p.m. the next day, to a Paddlers’ Club Picnic the following day from 1 to 6 p.m. at San Carlos RV Park at 8701 San Carlos Blvd, the first weekend’s events are expected to please the neophyte to the experienced.
Newly featured this year is an Oct. 30 daylong event at Lovers Key State Park at 8700 Estero Boulevard. The day’s events highlight stand-up paddleboarding, coastal kayaking classes and demonstrations, canoeing, paddling gear for purchase, guided off-road cycling, birdwatching, educational wading trips and living history programs. Most of the day’s events are free with park admission.
The festival will close Sunday, Nov. 7, with Bluegrass for a Blueway and a Taste of Matlacha. This fundraiser for the Pine Island Food Pantry will feature food from six restaurants, live music by the McIltrot Brothers and free kayak demonstrations. Also that day in Matlacha Park is The Florida Paddling Trail Association’s Paddle of the Pass Canoe & Kayak Regatta.
“The Calusa Blueways Paddling Festival is a get-away like none other,” said Jim Marsh, publisher of Canoe & Kayak magazine. “The local community has put together an amazing list of paddling events over two perfect weekends. There is an extraordinary amount of effort, coordination and resources thrown behind this.
“They actually roll out the red carpet for the kayakers. It’s a one of a kind experience we are endorsing to our readership.”
The festival also is recognized and supported by Sea Kayaker magazine. More than a kayak symposium — children will find hands-on marine activities and paddlers’ spouses can try Calusa Indian crafts, take guided beach walks and enjoy live music and waterfront happy-hour events with raffle prizes. For enthusiasts, paddling opportunities abound, from on-water instruction and demo paddle craft/accessories to sunrise paddling fitness outings and lengthy kayak tours led by both Florida-based paddling clubs and some of the two dozen outfitters along the Calusa Blueway.
For the angler, the annual Calusa Blueway Kayak Fishing Tournament is expected to draw 75 anglers from around the U.S. competing for cash and prizes, including a fully rigged kayak. The Calusa Blueway Photo Contest also has been revitalized for amateur photographers to show off their best shots.
So, climb aboard your craft and ride into an event or just drive to the many locations of the events. For more information on the trail, visit www.CalusaBlueway.com.
Most activities are free or involve a nominal donation ($10 for an event wristband) to the Calusa Blueway or an instructional fee. Social hours and live music are planned each weekend and are open to everyone.
-information provided by Betsy Clayton, waterways coordinator for Lee County Parks & Recreation