Register Now for the RiverFest Family Fun Paddle Battle

Hudson’s second annual RiverFest celebration will be July 12-17. The event has been expanded since last year with more activities for people of all ages to get outside and enjoy the St. Croix River. Many organizations and individuals cooperate for “RiverFest: A Party with a Purpose.” The six-day celebration includes education about the river and preserving its health and beauty. 

The week begins Saturday morning, July 12th at 8:00 a.m. with a “Family Fun Paddle Battle” race on the river at Troy Beach. Canoes, kayaks, YMCA Camp St. Croix’s Voyageur Canoes and any other non-motorized watercraft will “race” for trophies in various categories. A one-mile course extending upstream along the shore will be marked with buoys. Watercraft will start at 8:30 a.m. in a line perpendicular to the shore, then race up and back for a total of two miles. Safety boats will buffer the event from the river traffic. Personal flotation devices are required. Snacks will be provided.

A registration form is available on the RiverFest website at www.stcroixriverfest.org. Register before July 7th for a discounted price of $25 per vessel. Registration from July 8th - 12th and onsite race day registration from 7:30 - 8:15 a.m. is $35. Since parking is limited at St. Croix County’s Troy Beach Park (490 County Road F), south of Hudson’s River Crest Elementary School, participants are encouraged to car pool. The regular park admission fee is waived during the race. Overflow parking is available at the top of the hill on the grounds of YMCA Camp St. Croix. Profits from the Paddle Battle will go to support the Camp’s youth programs.

For people without their own, kayaks may be rented from local sources like Kinni Creek Lodge and Outfitters at www.kinnicreek.com, 1-715-425-7378 or from Apple River Kayak at www.appleriverkayak.com, 715-338-4078.

“Scrappy,” the splashing bass mascot of RiverFest, will make a cameo appearance at the Family Fun Paddle Battle before being trailered to spend the day in River Falls. On Saturday Scrappy will be in the unadorned, armature phase of “plumage,” until a new covering of litter picked up on the banks of the St. Croix River is attached during the RiverFest week.

Details of some activities are still being developed; so visit www.stcroixriverfest.org to get the latest RiverFest schedule of events.  RiverFest is made possible only through local grants and sponsorships. A list of grantors and sponsors are shown on the website and will be featured in print during RiverFest.