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Time To Relax Along The River

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By PAUL CATALA, Tribune correspondent

Published: October 17, 2007

TEMPLE TERRACE - It will be a bit more back to nature by the river this year.

Situated along the Hillsborough River, RiverFest 2007 is scheduled for Saturday and will again include children's activities, food, singing and wildlife and environmental exhibits.

But, unlike in recent years, there won't be any ski shows, stunt displays or other high-octane events on the river.

Instead, organizers said, the festival is returning to its original purpose: to provide a fun, educational, relaxing day by the river.

Now in its seventh year, RiverFest began when the Temple Terrace City Council decided to organize an event to draw people to the area, particularly the 34-acre Riverhills Park.

There will be 19 exhibitors, including Big Cat Rescue, Keep Hillsborough Beautiful, Lowry Park Zoo, Crystal Springs Preserve and Nature's Classroom. Local civic organizations, such as the Friends of Temple Terrace Parks and Recreation and the Temple Terrace Garden Club, will have informational booths.

'We're trying to get back to the roots of this thing, make it a family event with educational information, promoting environmental awareness and getting back to nature,' said Michael Dunn, spokesman for the city of Temple Terrace.

Dunn said that for the first time, visitors will be able to 'adopt' bats. The Friends of Temple Terrace Parks and Recreation and the Temple Terrace Preservation Society will tend an Adopt-a-Bat booth, where for a small donation, guests can buy small, plush toy bats. The proceeds will go toward rebuilding the city's the historical Bat Tower.

Dunn said the only motion on the water this year will be the annual Canoe Challenge and Mayor's Cup canoe race. The challenge begins at 9 a.m. at Rotary Park at Fowler Avenue and the Hillsborough River and is a 5.5-mile leisurely paddle down the river to Riverhills Park.

The Canoe Challenge will be followed by the annual Mayor's Cup canoe race, a 1.5-mile competition from Riverhills Park west to the 56th Street bridge and back.

Other highlights of the day will include children's activities and fishing, with prizes in different categories; live music from Sam Osborne; and barbecue and other items from Bert's BBQ.

Marshall Duncan, Temple Terrace recreation aquatics supervisor and RiverFest coordinator, said that although this year's event would be more low-key, there would still be plenty to do.

'We wanted to have a quieter event this year and just celebrate the river and the natural environment,' he said.

The cost for participating in the Canoe Challenge is $47 for two-person teams that need a canoe or $27 for those that have a canoe. The entry fee includes a T-shirt and lunch. For information or to register for the Canoe Challenge or Mayor's Cup, call (813) 989-7180.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: RiverFest

WHEN: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Riverhills Park, 329 S. Riverhills Drive, Temple Terrace

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