Monongahela River is star of annual community festival
By Emily Bennett
ebennett@yourmvi.com
“The people on the river are happy to give.”
Those nine words make up the theme for the essay and poetry contests for this year’s Monongahela River Community Festival, which will take place July 15 to 20. The essay and poetry contests are among many events scheduled for this year’s festival.
The festival was originally just one day and was built around a three-hour kayak race. It was well received by the surrounding riverside communities and drew travelers, tourists and professional kayakers and canoers. Its popularity is one of the reasons why the recreation board made the decision to extend the celebration.
“Ultimately, we want people to come from all around and obviously we want people from the communities to enjoy this as well,” said Rachel Christner Wilson, chair of Belle Vernon Recreational Committee. “Originally when we started, we wanted to involve all the communities on the river from Brownsville to Belle Vernon, and we do get participation from there every year. And for the locals that live right on or across the river, they can hear the music and see the kayak race as it’s going on.”
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