Below is a day-by-day breakdown of the schedule with some general information. At the bottom of the page is a list of some of the specific games, activities, and competitions that will take place at the Mountain Portage Rapids. Minor modifications to the schedule may happen during the weekend.
Refer to our map to locate the different festival sites.
Last updated July 12, 2023 @ 8pm.
Day One: Friday, August 2nd
Flatwater Friday
In partnership with Fort Smith Paddling Club.
| Time | Event | Meeting Location |
|---|---|---|
| 9am-5pm | Registration & Check In | Parks Canada Visitor Centre |
| 11am-12pm | Intro to Canoeing Clinic | Boat Launch |
| 12:30pm | Opening Ceremony | Boat Launch |
| 1-3pm | Canoe Trip, Picnic, & Canoe Races | Boat Launch |
| 1-3pm | Guest Instructor SUP Intro | Boat Launch |
| 7-9pm | Friday Night Welcome BBQ & Lawn Games | Queen Elizabeth Park & Campground |
Day Two: Saturday, August 3rd
In partnership with the Fort Smith Paddling Club.
| Time | Event | Meeting Location |
|---|---|---|
| 9-11am | Last-Minute Registration & Check In | Parks Canada Visitor Centre |
| 10am-12pm | Morning Clinics | Mountain Portage First Beach |
| 10am-12pm | Youth Kayak Games | Mountain Portage First Beach |
| 12-1pm | River Feeding Ceremony & Mandatory Safety Briefing | Mountain Portage Rocks |
| 1-4pm | Spectator-Friendly Competitions & Events (Swim Race, Pool Toy Race, Beach Ball Race, etc) | Mountain Portage Rocks |
| 1-4pm | Raft and Duo Kayak Rides* for Spectators | Mountain Portage Rocks |
| 9pm-1am | Beach-Themed Party 19+ | Dirty O’Fergies |
* Participation in this event is not included in the cost of registration.
Day Three: Sunday, August 4th
In partnership with the Fort Smith Paddling Club.
| Time | Event | Meeting Location |
|---|---|---|
| 10am-12pm | Kayak Rolling Clinic | Mountain Portage First Beach |
| 1-4pm | Spectator-Friendly Competitions & Events (Beginner-Pro Races, Kayak Rodeos, SUP Joust, etc) | Mountain Portage Rocks |
| 4pm | SUP Down River Race with Reta | Mountain Portage Rocks |
| 7-10pm | Paddler Dinner, Awards, & Silent Auction | Queen Elizabeth Park & Campground |
* Participation in this event is not included in the cost of registration.
Day Four: Monday, August 5th
| Time | Event | Meeting Location |
|---|---|---|
| 8-10am | Pancake Breakfast | Queen Elizabeth Park & Campground |
| 10am | River Trip & Edge King Big Wave Competition | Fort Smith Paddle Club Tent @ 28 Warbler Crescent |
Event Overview
Flatwater Friday Overview
Flatwater Friday is a fun-filled day focused on canoeing and picnicking. There are views of the rapids, but all the events are in flat water. We start with a picnic on an island. Participants bring their own lunches, snacks provided. Kids often have epic mud wars and it is not unheard of for Parks Canada to start a fire and make bannock on a stick. We also run a kayak slalom race for more advanced participants that picnickers enjoy spectating. The picnic is followed up by the main events of the day: head to head canoe races, two person and six person teams. Teams are assembled on the spot or ahead of time. We’ll finish the day off with lawn games and a BBQ for participants and sponsors.
Saturday & Sunday Overview
Mountain Portage Rapids
Saturday and Sunday are out at the rocks at Mountain Portage rapids with events for every type of craft that floats. We generally host some instructional clinics in the morning followed by competitions and events for every skill level from first-time paddlers to world champions. If you have a paddler registration, you can join any event as you feel like it.
There are even zany events like a pool toy race, SUP jousting, and more. For non-paddlers, raft rides are available for a cost, and there’s always something fun to watch happening. Snacks and water are provided around a campfire, and the vibe is a fun beach party. Even if you aren’t registered for Paddlefest, you are welcome to come down and hang out and watch all the craziness.
Evenings Overview
Saturday Night Beach-Themed Party
Our annual beach-themed party includes music, limbo & hula dance competitions, and more!
Sunday Evening Paddler Appreciation Dinner
Participants and paddlers celebrate Paddlefest with a dinner. We have a raffle, silent auction, and awards for competition winners!
Guest Instructor
Announcing our guest instructor for Paddlefest 2022…
Are you ready to go FLAT 2 FLOW with the one and only Reta Boychuk? She is the founder of CANRVRSUP the largest whitewater SUP school in Canada, a Raven Rescue Swiftwater Instructor, Badfish Boards Athlete, Kokatat Global Ambassador, and the Defending SUP Cross Gold Medalist at the GoPro Mountain Games.
We have convinced her to make her way North with one of her Grom Team members Justine St John for Paddlefest this August long weekend!!
Here’s a peak at her Paddlefest clinic schedule:
July 29th, 1pm-3pm @ Boat Launch: FLATWATER FRIDAY – Reta will be at the boat launch to introduce you to Stand Up Paddleboarding on a calm flat water section of the river.
July 30th, 10am-12pm @ Mountain Portage First Beach: YOU CAN RVR SUP – Learn to go with the flow. Apply your new flatwater SUP skills to paddle comfortably in a river current, starting in the First Bay at Mountain Portage.
July 31st, 4pm @ Mountain Portage Rocks: SUP Down River Race with Reta – Let’s race with Reta and steal her tips and tricks while Reta coaches and paddles along the way!
We’re beyond stoked to host Reta in Fort Smith and we strongly suggest cancelling all other plans and coming to Paddlefest to learn from this rad river instructor!
Activities
Check out some of the fun activities we feature annually!
…and there are more!