Rivers, Trails and Ales Festival

August 8th-11th 2013 in Historic Downtown Marietta, Ohio.

Come find out why National Geographic Adventure Magazine rated Marietta #1 in Ohio for outdoor adventure! Marietta is home to a vibrant outdoor community with hundreds of miles of single-track, multiple rivers and streams and a beautiful historic downtown to tie it all together! Come on down. You might just want to stay for a while! 

Join us for a FULL EXTENDED WEEKEND of FUN! 

This is what happened in 2012!:

SCHEDULE:

THURSDAY 8/9/12- Event Kick-Off!
Marietta venues will have regional breweries on tap & music to enjoy.  Stop by the Marietta Brewing Company for the event kick-off party! 

Performances: 9PM: Hayfield & Crow @ Marietta Brewing Company!

FRIDAY 8/10/12- Head Out for an Biking or River Adventure and return for Local Brew, Live Music, Drawings, and Round 1 of the Tortoise and Hare World Championships.

9 am:  Event headquarters on the Armory Lawn opens.  Stop by in the morning to pick up information for that day’s bike rides and paddling events. Participants can pick up directions and head out on their own, or meet up at 10 am to head out with a group.

10 am: Trails Group Meet-up @ the Armory (group mountain-biking and road-biking rides). For both MTB and road biking, there will be three levels to choose from.  See “Trails” page for more information.

Paddling Events: 

All day: The Paddlers’ Dice Run! Stop by the festival headquarters to register for the Paddler Dice Run - both Friday and Saturday with prizes given out in the evening! $5 to enter, or free with VIP pass.

5 pm - 9 pm: Live events on the Armory lawn.  Inflatables for the kids, The Tortoise and the Hare Race, live music performances, and other demonstrations:

Performances at the Armory Lawn (200 block Front St.):

6:30 - 7:30 pm: Live Music by Qiet!

8 pm: The Tortoise and the Hare Race

9 pm: Live Fire Performance by the Burning Dawn!

Friday night events coincide with the Marietta Merchants & Artists Walk (6-9 pm), a great way to check out local shops and artists. 

Be sure to stop by to purchase your festival VIP lanyard to enter into the grand prize give-away and to receive significant discounts at participating downtown retailers and restaurants.

Performances at Downtown Venues: 

Boathouse BBQ:

7 pm: Tracy Ellen and Sean Johnson

The Adelphia Music Hall:

6-9 pm: Josh Buskirk

9 pm: South of the River Band

Marietta Brewing Company:

10 pm: Qiet!

Live Fire Performance by the Burning Dawn!

Click on the “Ales” page for the full music schedule w/featured brews.  More information on the performers is available on the “Performers” page.


SATURDAY 8/11/12- Head Out for another Adventure and find your way back for the Brews, Music, and Grand Prize Drawings as well as Round 2 of the Tortoise and Hare World Championships!

8:00 am: Group meet-up for Lowell to Marietta paddle. A full-day 14 mile lock-through trip on the Muskingum River. Meet up at the Armory lawn to drive up as a group, or meet at the Lowell put-in at 9 am. Take-out at the Marietta College boathouse. Shuttle service available from Marietta Adventure Company for $25/person or $40/person with rental. Bring $5/boat for the lock fee, water, and food for the trip. If you plan to use the shuttle service, reserve ahead of time with Marietta Adventure Company at 740-538-0801.

9 am:  Event headquarters on the Armory Lawn opens.  Stop by in the morning to pick up information for that day’s bike rides and paddling events. Participants can pick up directions and head out on their own, or meet up at 10 am to head out with a group.

Also at 9 am: Marietta’s Dragon Boat Team will offer dragon boat rides. Life-jackets, paddles and an introductory lesson will be provided. Meet-up location: Marietta Harbor.

10 am: Trails Group Meet-up @ the Armory (group mountain-biking and road-biking rides). For both MTB and road biking, there will be three levels to choose from.  See “Trails” page for more information.

Paddling Events: 

All day: The Paddlers’ Dice Run! Stop by the festival headquarters to register for the Paddler Dice Run - both Friday and Saturday with prizes given out in the evening! $5 to enter, or free with VIP pass.

5 pm - 9 pm: Live events on the Armory lawn.  The Tortoise and the Hare Race, Acoustic band performances, and other demonstrations.  

Performances at the Armory Lawn (200 block Front St.):

5:30 - 6:30 pm: Live Music by Appalachian Criminal!

6:30 - 7:30 pm: Live Music by the Black Bourbon Devils!

8 pm: The Tortoise and the Hare Race FINALS

Also Saturday night: Raffle Drawing!

Performances at Downtown Venues:

The Adelphia Music Hall:

9:30 pm: The Carlsons

Marietta Brewing Company:

10 pm: Sacra Via

Click on the “Ales” page for the full music schedule, updated as available. 


SUNDAY 8/12/12 - the Mighty Muskingum River Raft Race! 

1 pm: Event check-in for The Mighty Muskingum Raft Race:  Meet at the Indian Acres Boat Ramp (@ the Washington County Fairgrounds.  

2 pm: Mighty Muskingum Raft Race!  Participate, or observe the handmade rafts race down the Muskingum River.  Boats will finish at the Harmar Bridge (pedestrian bridge next to the Armory) in downtown Marietta.  Watch from anywhere along the bike path!

Also at 2 pm: The first annual RTA Fest Kayak & Canoe Turn-around Race! Start at the Indian Acres boat ramp and head upstream to Colegate, turn around buoy, and race back down to the finish line by the new city dock at the Harmar Bridge. Happens concurrently with the Mighty Muskingum River Raft Race!  Enter as: Double Canoe, Double Kayak, or Single Kayak. $10 to enter, or free with VIP Pass.

For more information on the bands and other performers, please check the “Performers” page.

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