Press release from IPFW’s RiverFest:
IPFW RiverFest Makes Splashy Debut
(July 1, 2010) – An estimated 20,000 people found themselves along the banks of the St. Joseph River where it bisects the campus of Indiana
University-Purdue University Fort Wayne Saturday, June 26, for the inaugural IPFW RiverFest and Rockin’ the River event, presented by Steel Dynamics.Highlights of the day-into-evening event included more than 40 activities for children at FamilyFest on the west side of the river, an arts and crafts fair that showcased the talents and wares of area crafts people and artists, and lots of food choices.
The main focus of the event was making people more aware of and informed about the rivers in Fort Wayne. People had the opportunity to be up close and personal with the river by taking pontoon, canoe, and kayak rides. A water ski show and the landing of a sea plane also helped show how many diverse activities can be enjoyed on the waterways.
As part of the festival, IPFW, Invent Tomorrow, Friends of the Rivers, and Fort Wayne Outfitters sponsored a drawing for a kayak. Cheri Becker,
Dan Wire, Allen County Commissioner Bill Brown, and Irene Walters, representing Invent Tomorrow, Friends of the River, and IPFW, were on hand when the name of Harvey Smallwood of New Haven was pulled out of the box.Rockin’ the River at IPFW RiverFest closed out the day, with nine area bands thrilling a crowd that was treated to a spectacular fireworks display to the accompaniment of the band Moser Woods and the Marnee Project.
Walters, who served as director of RiverFest, says ideas are already being talked about for next year’s event. “We’ve had such positive feedback from all over the community, and some very good suggestions on how to make RiverFest 2011 even better than this one, that I just can’t wait to see what we come up with!”
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