Pigeon RiverFest Outrageous Team Tubing Event

Back by popular demand is the Outrageous Tube Team Competition. Local businesses and community organizations field 4 person teams that dress to excess, decorate their tubes and perform to impress our panel of judges. The competition has been intense, though the Riverview Farm and Garden team has been the reigning champion for the last two years. Will anyone, can anyone, challenge them this year?

The Family Water Play Zone is in the river at the Current Tavern take out point. The Zone is a roped off area, staffed by volunteers, with all kinds of water fun for kids. We have a 15 foot floating trampoline, floats, tubes, toys and games. We require that parents stay in the water with children under 10 years old.ption

Last year we had the most tubers in the Pigeon that anyone had ever seen. This year we want to make it official with a Public Parade Of Tubes. Anyone who cares to is invited to grab a tube (and we’ll have tubes on hand to rent), dress as crazy as you want and join your neighbors in our beautiful river.

This is a new addition to the RiverFest this year. Our school celebrities will take their seat in the dunk tank, the rest of us will try to dunk them by throwing baseballs at the tank target: 3 balls for $5. The school that raises the most money wins the Challenge and reigns as the Soggiest School for the year! The Soggiest School splits the Challenge proceeds with Pigeon River Garden Club.

Maybe you’ve tried stand up paddleboarding on one of our local lakes or at the beach, but have you tried paddleboarding in a river? Maneuvering through the current, riding the ripples and avoiding the rocks is a different way to enjoy our beautiful river. Haywood County Recreation and Parks will join us at RiverFest with two expert paddleboard trainers who will demonstrate how to paddle the river and teach you to do it.

Glazed & Infused

Kona Ice

Dirty Gertie’s Taco

Mack’s Shack

Woof St.

The Waynesville Recreation and Parks Department has been offering the Base Camp On The Go program for a number of years. This is a mobile playground featuring games like balance beams, ladder ball, giant Jenga, four square, corn hole, giant bowling, connect four, ring toss, tic tac toe, tetherball, volleyball, and so much more! Base Camp On The Go will be set up in Canton Recreation Park in the field between the Pigeon River Public Orchard and the Memorial Stadium.

Haywood Waterways Association has been working to keep our streams clean and healthy for almost 30 years. HWA will join RiverFest with a hands-on River Snorkeling exploration of the underwater life of our river. You’ll be provided with goggles, fins, nets and guides to view the unique river environment just below the surface.

Kayaks are the perfect boats for paddling the Pigeon River. Their small size, shallow draft and maneuverability will get you through the tightest channels when the river is low, while they can shoot the trickiest rapids the Pigeon can throw at you. Some of Canton’s best Kayakers will be at RiverFest to demonstrate kayaking skills and teach you how to paddle.

The Pigeon is one of the best fly fishing rivers in the Southeast, and one of the most beautiful. Mountain Fly Outfitters will bring their expert fishing guides to demonstrate fly casting and fly tying techniques, and teach you how to get across that “fine line between fly fishing and waving your rod like an idiot.”

The RiverFest day time activities will conclude at 4pm when the winners of the Outrageous Tube Competition receive fabulous prizes and the acclaim of RiverFest attendees at the Current Tavern take out point. But wait, there’s more! Please stay with us for the RiverFest After Party, hosted by our partners the Current Tavern. The After Party will have music from Red Clay Revival and other local musicians, food, drink and celebration through 9pm.