Kayakers and canoers reach West Pittston during their journey on the Susquehanna river to Wilkes-Barre during the 2018 Riverfest.
Times Leader File Photo
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The 30th annual Wyoming Valley Riverfest got off to a slow start on Friday, with the postponement of the “Agnes” documentary showing on the River Common, and the cancellation of the kayak tour from West Pittston to Wilkes-Barre’s Nesbitt Park.
The originally scheduled times for both events were thrown into flux as a result of the inclement weather that was anticipated to storm through the area on Friday evening.
According to a post on the Riverfront Parks Committee’s Facebook page, the “Agnes” documentary screening will be rescheduled soon, with a new date in either August or September being targeted.
“Agnes” is a locally crafted documentary film that chronicles the Agnes Flood’s impact on the Wyoming Valley. Friday’s screening was meant to coincide with the 1972 flood’s anniversary weekend. Screening the film outdoors with a thunderstorm in the forecast would have been impossible, per a statement from John Maday, executive director of the Riverfront Parks Committee.
Maday said that the river tour on Saturday will begin as scheduled at about 8 a.m. at the Appletree Launch in Ransom Township, Lackawanna County. The paddlers are expecting to arrive in Wilkes-Barre between approximately noon and 1 p.m., depending on the flow and depth of the river.
Maday was looking forward to the rest of the weekend in Wilkes-Barre, especially the block of time between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday. That’s the timeframe in which Wilkes-Barre’s Nesbitt Park will play host to a number of activities, all in celebration of the 30th annual Wyoming Valley Riverfest.
In all of those three decades, the goals of the Riverfront Parks Committee and those involved with Riverfest have remained consistent.
“Our mission is environmental education, and that’s been our mission for 30 years,” said Maday.
Back in 1994, the first Riverfest included one musician and local college students attempting to raise money for the cause by selling water. Clearly, it was a much smaller affair. That gritty spirit and devotion to building Riverfest’s profile is part of what makes it such an important event.
“We’re serious about what we’re doing,” Maday said.
The uniqueness of Wilkes-Barre’s parks and natural beauty have always been a priority for the event and its organizers. And those organizers are a pretty unique bunch in their own right.
“We’ve always been all volunteers,” said Maday, pointing out that Riverfest’s survival over the past 30 years is even more impressive given the lack of backing from a consistent group of paid employees. The success of Riverfest, which Maday called “a significant achievement,” goes beyond the organizers and extends to the ordinary people and small businesses who have rallied around Riverfest’s ideals.
“Without the loyal supporters, we would not be where we are today,” said Maday.
Events on the agenda for Saturday include a children’s scavenger hunt from 11 a.m. until 2:30 p.m., a guided nature walk at 1 p.m., and musical performances from The Handsome Devils and Don Shappelle & The Pickups.
On Sunday, a river tour will begin at Nesbitt Park and take kayakers to Hunlock Creek, essentially marking the conclusion of the weekend’s festivities.