The 5th Annual L.O.V.E. the Lake Paddle Fest will be held on Saturday, July 12, 2014, at Shepard Park in Lake George Village, from 10 am to 5 pm. This family-friendly event promotes paddler safety and resource stewardship through on-water demos, vendors, live music, and more. The event is co-sponsored by the American Canoe Association (ACA) and the Lake George Waterkeeper. It is free and open to the public.

Paddle Fest is the culminating event of the L.O.V.E. the Lake Memorial Paddle — Starting in Ticonderoga at 1:00 pm on July 11th and ending in Lake George Village on the 12th. The lake-long Memorial Paddle honors Peter Snyder and Stephen Canady who lost their lives in separate paddling incidents on Lake George in 2010. Interested paddlers can join in for shorter stretches of the trip.

The Memorial Paddle and Paddle Fest celebrate the rich tradition of paddling on Lake George while promoting principles that make it safe for both paddlers and the environment alike. (L.O.V.E. stands for: Leave it wild, Observe boat safety regulations, Value everyone’s opportunity to Enjoy the lake.)

This year’s event features a race between paddlers and the Lake George Steamboat Company’s Minne-Ha-Ha in a muscle versus steam competition. Participating organizations include Patty’s Water Sports, Adirondack Brewery, The Lake George Steamboat Company, and more.

If you would like to volunteer at L.O.V.E. the Lake, visit www.americancanoe.org/StewardshipVolunteer or contact Greg Rolf, ACA Stewardship Coordinator, at grolf@americancanoe.org or (540) 907-4460 ext. 106. Paddlers may also register for the Memorial Paddle at the ACA website.