Summer is the season for community festivals, and this weekend sees a new one with a twist. It’s the 1st annual Paddlefest, which joins the towns of Greensboro and Denton in Caroline County via the Choptank River. The theme is the great kayaking and canoeing on the Choptank, but the entertainment and activities cross all interests.

The party starts Friday in Greensboro. Potters demonstrate their wheel work; the Garden Club conducts tours of historic homes; the library displays Indian artifacts. There are horse drawn wagon rides and a wine tasting featuring Boordy Vineyards. The big riverside event is the nighttime bonfire and sing-a-long, with BBQ and pit beef for sale. Over at the Riverside Country Inn, there’s live music. As of Tuesday, there were still rooms available for the weekend. There are also a few campsites available on the riverbank.

Saturday starts off with a breakfast buffet before the ‘speed’ paddlers put in for the 7.7 mile trip downriver to the Choptank River Yacht Club in Denton. That’s at 10 a.m. At 10:15, the rest of the paddlers ease their way downriver. Yacht Club activities include kayak rolling and bass fishing demonstrations, an Indian life demonstration, bluegrass and other live music.

Perhaps the neatest event is the Paddle Art Auction, sponsored by the Caroline County Council of Arts. The silent auction on Saturday features wooden boat oar or paddles of all sizes that have been carved, painted, mosaic-ed, bejeweled, or otherwise artistically enhanced. So far, over 30 paddles have been entered. Proceeds from the auction are split between the artist, the Council on Arts, and the Chamber.

For more information about Paddlefest, contact the Caroline County Chamber of Commerce:

www.carolinechamber.org

For information about the Paddle Art Auction, contact the Caroline County Council of Arts:

www.carolinearts.org