9th annual Float Your Boat festival July 21

Grab your bathing suit — or at least some towels — and make your way to the 2018 Float Your Boat Summer Festival on July 21.

In its ninth year, the free event is held at the Turkey Creek Nature Preserve in Pinson and sponsored by the Friends of Turkey Creek Nature Preserve.

The festival is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and features balsa wood boat races, make-your-own-boat races and children’s boat races, said Anne Mathews, the Friends of Turkey Creek Preserve treasurer.

“They’re similar to the lucky ducky races you see, but the boats are all biodegradable materials to protect the creek,” she said.    “The homemade boats must be no more than 12 inches long and 6 inches wide and must be inspected and registered prior to the race. And you can bring your own boat or make one at the festival that day.”

There are several racing heats and all the boats are released and travel down the waterfalls to the finish line, she said.

According to Mathews, one of the festival’s biggest attractions each year is going down the natural water slide and swimming in the creek.

“The festival is a great way to have fun, and both celebrate and support Turkey Creek,” she said. “We expect about 2,000 people this year, and all money raised goes for ground maintenance of the preserve.”

For more information about the Float Your Boat Summer Festival contact Mathews at 305-4385 or by email at bamaanne@bellsouth.net.