RiverFest: Anything that Floats

Helium balloons danced along the water’s edge, holding up a sign that read, “Keep the French Broad River Clean,” on Saturday. The shore was lined with watercraft of all sizes, from sleek kayaks to square wooden barges, for the unofficial kick-off of RiverFest.

The Anything that Floats Parade, a contest to test the creativity of water-lovers, welcomed any vessel that could successfully float down the French Broad River. Hominy Creek River Park was the starting point for the parade, and the shore was lined with rafts by 11 a.m. Old-time music tinkered below the sounds of staple guns and air pumps, as Blind Boy Chocolate and the Milk Sheiks serenaded the group.

The head of an inflatable doll wearing a tie dyed t-shirt bobbed above the water. Her name was Cupcake and she and her kayak had an important job: to compete for most creative, unusual or hilarious raft in the parade. Chris Moody, member of the team “Smoke Scum on the Water,” stressed the teamwork involved in getting ready to enter the contest. Plenty beer and conversations at the Wedge were part of the planning process, she said. With Cupcake in tow, members of team Scum stood proudly over their creation. They later crossed the finish line with a cooler of dry ice dragging behind them and the song “Smoke on the Water” playing from a boom box attached their kayak. 

Further down the shore Santa, the Easter Bunny and a leprechaun dragged their watercraft, a series of planks and empty barrels, to the shore. Happy Holidaze was painted in red across the front. Joelle Wicker, dressed in bunny ears and a tail, used RiverFest as a reason to pull out old Halloween costumes. “It’s a good excuse to dress up. There aren’t too many opportunities in the summer, so we had to make our own holiday.”

RiverLink, an Asheville-based environmental organization that works to preserve the French Broad River, once again put on RiverFest. The afternoon’s festivities began in earnest at French Broad River Park at 1 p.m., where a full day’s activities took place. The park was filled with colorful pockets of belly dancing, aerial arts, hula hooping and Tai Kwondo until early evening. A musical showcase rounded out the afternoon, followed by a soulful performance by Josh Phillips Folk Festival.

Photos by Jonathan Welch

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Webmaster
Mountain Xpress Webmaster Follow me @MXWebTeam

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.