Paddlefest's goal: 'Make the river cool again'

About 1,500 people are expected to paddle along the Ohio River this weekend as part of the annual Ohio River Way Paddlefest.

This year's two-day event will feature three races, a six-mile leisure paddle and a festival at Four Seasons Marina with live bands.

"This is a pep rally for our region. We have to start looking at what's great about our area and not trashing it all the time," said Brewster Rhoads, vice president of Ohio River Way. "We want to make the river cool again."

Paddlefest began five years ago and has grown to become the Midwest's largest canoe and kayak event. About 300 people joined in the first year. More than 1,200 people have registered for this year's event, up 30 percent from last year, Rhoads said.

Kayaking has nearly doubled in popularity since 1998, according to the Outdoor Industry Foundation. In 2005, an estimated 12 million people reported having paddled or kayaked at least once.

Paddlefest begins today with the Kids X-Stream Paddlefest Expo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. A free festival will run from 3 p.m. to midnight.

Races - 14 miles, nine miles and six miles - begin Saturday morning at Four Seasons Marina on Kellogg Avenue.

All proceeds will go to a water trail project to promote the Ohio River and boating safety.

Ohio River Way is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization that promotes the Ohio River for recreation, economic development and preservation.

With five rivers intersecting within a 25-mile range, the region's geography should draw more tourists and residents, Rhoads said.

"(The river) has tremendous potential to be a driver to economic development and urban revitalization," Rhoads said. "We don't take enough advantage of it and don't make a big enough deal."

E-mail qtruong@enquirer.com

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