Head to the River

June 17, 2011

Times-Leader

Bill O’Boyle

PERHAPS IT’S primordial, this sensation that spurs people like us to gather by the river.

Our early ancestors hugged the Euphrates’ edges, and as civilizations spread, cities popped up predictably in those places where the water freely flows (London, Pittsburgh and, yes, Wilkes-Barre).

The 12th annual Wyoming Valley RiverFest – a family-oriented festival taking place tonight through Sunday – seeks to tap those instincts, drawing area residents to once again congregate and celebrate beside the magnificent, if sometimes misunderstood, Susquehanna River.

The volunteer-run event offers Luzerne County residents and visitors an opportunity to connect, or re-connect, with this waterway. So get to the River Common in downtown Wilkes-Barre for a few hours and soak in the scene. Float there by canoe or kayak if you can. (Some sojourners will be arriving Saturday from Harding via boats). Or walk, bike or take the trolley from one of several center-city stops.

During this year’s festival, the spectacle will include two dragon boats – 40-foot-long vessels each propelled by about 20 paddlers, plus a drummer and “steersman.” Local teams of novices will compete in dragon boat races Sunday. Also on the schedule this weekend: a family fishing program, nature hikes, animal exhibits, pony rides, mural painting, craft sales and plenty of free musical performances.

Taking center stage throughout, of course, will be the festival’s splendid backdrop: the barely 2-year-old River Common park. Explore its pathways. Admire its vistas. Appreciate its existence.

Thanks to this $25 million project orchestrated by Luzerne County’s Flood Protection Authority, Wilkes-Barre joins the ranks of Denver, Nashville, Huntington, W.V., and other cities with promising riverside parks – and the capability to capitalize on it.

As you stroll the River Common, picture it as the setting for regattas, community theater presentations, polka (or punk rock) concerts, family picnics, wedding portraits (or entire wedding ceremonies), civic club activities, environmental education lessons, art shows, movies and an array of other community-enhancing events. Let the possibilities – and the potential of this place – wash over you.

Yes, Wilkes-Barre is a river city. Wyoming Valley is a river community. We shouldn’t be afraid to immerse ourselves in all that the designation implies.

After all, we are a river people.

Get in the flow * Visit www.rivercommon.org for information about Wyoming Valley RiverFest and other activities at the River Common.

* Call 823-2101, ext. 128 to contact Karl Borton, director of River Common programming and outreach, for information on event planning.

New Date for Riverfest 2023 Announced

Riverfest 2023 is now August 12th and 13th! Join us for a day of food, entertainment, and activities in Nesbitt Park at Riverfest! Live Music, Children’s Scavenger Hunt,...

Volunteers Needed for Riverfest 2023 – August 12 and 13!

Volunteers Needed! Volunteer with us on August 12th and/or 13th at Riverfest! Help is needed with set up, parking, and more. All volunteers will receive a free T-shirt....

RIVERFEST POSTPONED!

Due to forecasted storms this weekend (all three days), including lightning, heavy rain, and wind, in the interest of public safety, the Riverfront Parks Committee is cancelling RiverFest....