It’s back! Yep, the Mighty Elk River Fest is back and it’s bigger than ever.
All of the festivities will be held on Saturday, July 8, starting at noon. The base of operations will be at Mary Chilton Park, locally known as Spread Park, and it looks like there will be something for everyone to do. There will be a plethora of stuff going on – race, music, food, bass tournament, etc.
The big draw will be the 20.2 mile triathlon, a grueling race that will be for the strong at heart. It will start at CCHS with a 7.7 mile bike ride to Spread Park. At the park it switches to a 6.5 mile run up Route 4 to the town of Ivydale. At that point, it switches to the final leg which is a six-mile jaunt in a kayak back down the river to the park and the finish line.
It will be a race for individuals as well as teams, a race that will separate the wannabes and the gonna-dos. It would be good to see teams formed from CCHS athletes who think they have what it takes to compete against the best or individuals who can push their bodies to the limit. The challenge is free to all high school students.
You can register for the race at tristateracer.com. Categories will include: Individual Male/Female 11-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50+, along with male, female and co-ed groups. All participants receive a Mighty Elk Challenge medal. Awards will be given to the top three overall male and female, top three in each age group and male/female/co-ed teams. This is a good thing for the county and all proceeds go to the Clay County Business Development Authority to help the people of Clay County.
The race is not all there is. There will also be a bass fishing tournament on the Elk River from 7a.m.-3 p.m., and you can register for it at claywvbda.org.
It will be a catch and release style tournament. Also, an anything that floats race will be held.
There will be a lot of music throughout the day, and the tunes will roll throughout the valley by some of the best in the business. Scattered Hamlet will headline the groups, and along with them there will be groups such as 10 FT Tall, Non Friction, The Dooges and more. These are not your run of the mill groups; Scattered Hamlet has played at venues all over the country and will be bringing their form of country rock to Clay County.
Parking for the event will be at a premium, so a bus will transport people to and from Clay County High School, and it will run every 30 minutes. Many volunteers will be needed to make the event go off without a hitch, so if you want to be a part of the fun get a hold of the BDA and sign up. There will be children’s activities along with craft and food vendors.
Again, this is a good thing and much needed for this county. There will be a lot going on, and you won’t want to miss it. A lot of time, hard work and money has went into making this event a good one, so bring the kids and a chair and get in on the good food and music.
Anybody who would like to donate their time or want to participate, don’t miss out on the opportunity to help the people of the county. It would be a great challenge for the all present or recently graduated athletes to get involved with.
