116 Washington Avenue - A.K.A. Shred Shack
Darden Towe
Darden Towe Park, Darden Towe Park, Charlottesville, VA, USA
Organized by the Rivanna Conservation Alliance, the third annual “FLOW: The Rivanna River Arts Festival” utilizes the river as both a creative inspiration and canvas to engage the local community with not only the scientific conservation of the Rivanna River, but the soul of the river as well.
The festival is a celebration of the Rivanna River at the nexus of outdoor play, art, music, dance, and environmental conservation! Held on the banks of the river, it features a diverse array of musical and dance performances, art installations, as well as sobering dialogue surrounding conservation issues.
I’m looking to bring several of the club’s kayaks and stand-up paddleboards for a leisurely paddle putting in at Darden Towe. (With any luck, we’ll be able to secure boats from the Rivanna River Company so we don’t have to bring the club’s.) The paddle will be mild and beginner-friendly — you don’t need kayaking experience, but you should be comfortable knowing how to swim on the exceedingly small chance that you capsize. We can also bring the club’s inner tubes for floatin’, and the waters will be ripe for swimming, should you choose to.
My hope is that we can send a number of cars to the festival to allow 1) flexibility in arrival and departure times and 2) the ability to run shuttle between a put-in at Darden Towe and take-out at Riverview Park or further downstream.
I am in the process of securing a Rivanna Conservation Alliance member to speak to us about river conservation and how we can protect our local waterways and watersheds! There is also a tree walk at 10 a.m. to learn about natural and invasive species in the region, for those interested.
To close, I leave you with these beautiful words from the FLOW website: “Our rivers flow on, marking time, witnesses to all visitors to their banks — the bathers, laundresses and fishermen, the merchants, traders and explorers; the courtships, vows, and broken hearts; the baptismal candidates, poets and painters; the injustices and tragedies. The river moves forward throughout our human history, with constancy: cleansing, inspiring and promising possibility.”
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*** By signing up, YOU ARE NOT COMMITTING TO STAYING FOR THE ENTIRE FESTIVAL. I am hoping, with multiple cars, we can have a variety or arrival and departure times based on interest. The park is a mere ~15 minute drive from Grounds, so cars should be able to come and go as they please! ***
** DRIVERS NEEDED! Particularly those with capacity to carry SUPs and kayaks. You’ll be reimbursed fully + a 50% tip. **
Bring:
-1L Water
-Snacks
-Athletic clothing
-Shoes for getting wet (i.e. flip flops, chacos)
-Bathing suit (optional)
More info: https://flowfestival.weebly.com/
Questions? Drop me a line: anl4uc@virginia.edu