Rivers, Trails and Ales Festival

August 11th-14th 2011 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! 

SCHEDULE:

THURSDAY 8/11- Event Kick-Off!
Marietta venues will have regional breweries on tap & music to enjoy.

Performances: 9 pm: Justin Arthur live at the Brewery!

FRIDAY 8/12- 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 (group mountain-biking and road-biking rides). 

5 pm - 9 pm: Live events on the Armory lawn, broadcast by WMOA.  The Tortoise and the Hare Race, live bungee run tournament, Acoustic band performances, and other demonstrations.  Brewer Mike Arnold from the Marietta Brewing Company will be on hand to discuss their brewing process with interested visitors.  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 lanyard to enter into the grand prize give-away and to receive significant discounts at participating downtown retailers and restaurants.

Early Bird Pygmy Boaters: After you check into your motel, come down to THE BREWERY located on Front St. in downtown Marietta. The back room will be a central gathering place to socialize with other Pygmy boat owners.

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

5:00 pm  Steve Hussey Band Set

5:30 pm  Lanyard Tour

6:00 pm  Chemical Valley Band Set

6:30 pm  Bungee Run Tournament

7:00 pm  Elemental Groove Theory Band Set

7:30 pm  Mama Lotus Belly Dancers

             Pub Crawl Tour

8:00 pm  Black Bourbon Devils Band Set

8:30 pm  Tortoise & Hare Race

Performances at Downtown Venues: 

7-9 pm Steve Hussey on the Galley Patio (free!)

8-10 Fletcher’s Grove @ the Adelphia Music Hall ($6 incl. later show)

10-12 Chemical Valley @ the Marietta Brewing Co. (free)

10:30-1 am Elemental Groove Theory @ the Adelphia Music Hall ($6 incl. earlier show)

12 am InFormation @ the Marietta Brewing Co. (free)

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 8/13- 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!

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 college boat house.

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.

Anytime: Marietta Harbor Tour & Dice Run: take your kayak, rowboat, or canoe out on the Muskingum and Ohio Rivers to experience downtown Marietta from the river.  As you explore, hunt for special containers holding dice.  When you find a container, shake the dice and record your score to compete for prizes that will be awarded in the evening. A harbor chart will direct you to the dice locations and you may spend as much or as little time as you want completing the contest.

5 pm - 9 pm: Live events on the Armory lawn, broadcast by WMOA.  The Tortoise and the Hare Race, live bungee run tournament, Acoustic band performances, and other demonstrations.  

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

5:00 pm  Martial Arts Kids Demonstration

5:30 pm  Lanyard Tour

6:00 pm  Bruce & Gaye Band Set

             Merchant Giveaway Entry Deadline (Kayak!)

6:30 pm  Bungee Run Tournament Finals

7:00 pm  Giveaway Winners Announced!

7:30 pm  Pub Crawl Tour

8:00 pm  Raincrows Band Set

8:30 pm  Tortoise & Hare Race Finals

Performances at Downtown Venues: 

2-4 pm: Jason Canterbury @ the TownHouse (free)

7-9 pm: Cadillac Lester @ the Marietta Brewing Co. (free)

7-8:30 pm: Bruce & Gaye Dalzell @ the Adelphia Music Hall ($5 incl. later show)

9-11 pm: Black Bourbon Devils @ the Marietta Brewing Co. (free)

9 pm -12 am: The Raincrows @ the Adelphia Music Hall ($5 incl. earlier show)

10 pm - 2 am: Resurrect 27 @ the Townhouse (free)

11 pm - 2 am: Sacra Via @ the Marietta Brewing Co. (free)

Click on the “Ales” page for the full music schedule, updated as available.  Saturday night will also feature a live fire performance by The Burning Dawn!


SUNDAY 8/14- A Pygmy Boat Parade and the Mighty Muskingum River Raft Race! 

10 am: Pygmy Boat Parade on the Muskingum River - come paddle with the group, or observe event from the river bank near the Armory. 

11 am-1 pm: Pygmy Boat show - stop by the Armory lawn to take a look at the handmade wooden kayaks and other boats.  If you have a boat to share, bring it! 

1 pm:  Devols Dam/Muskingum River Paddle with Pygmy boaters. This trip leaves from the college boathouse and we’ll paddle/row 5 miles up the Muskingum River to Lock #2 where the group can lock thru for a modest fee. This historic Lock System was built before 1900 and is manually operated. Once above the lock the group will turn around and lock back thru and then paddle/row back to Marietta.  The trip is 10 miles in length and should take about 3 hours.

Also 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!

Anytime Sunday: Stop by Marietta Brewing Co. to meet the Brewer.  Brewer Mike Arnold will be on hand to answer any questions and describe the brewing process happening in the tanks before your eyes.

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

And preceding our event, The Inland Waterways Festival August 6-7 is sure to be a good time. Check back in for further information and a full list of activities to keep you shakin’ through the rest of the week until the Rivers, Trails & Ales Festival kicks off on Thursday night!
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