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January 2020
Mississippi Meanderings
RIVER people need to get together, especially during the winter. What better opportunity than at the Mississippi River Water Trail Association's January event where you and your friends can meet other paddlers and learn from some great river experts? Our line up of 3 speakers this year is REALLY good: Janet Moreland - LONG distance paddler Scot Mansker - Co-founder and organizer of a 340 mile paddling race across the state of Missouri, the MR340 David Lobbig - Missouri History…
Find out more »February 2020
Alpine Shop Expo
Mississippi River Water Trail representatives will be present at a booth during the entire weekend. Come on out! Stop by and talk to us! Learn about our organization and our plans for the 2020 year.
Find out more »April 2020
Earth Day Festival
We will have a booth in Forest Park at this event. Come by and see us! We will have gifts for you and the kids. Learn about our mission. Get a copy of our "Calendar of Events". Talk to our members. Talk to a member of the Corps of Engineers. Learn how we are uniquely connected with the USACE and the river.
Find out more »June 2020
Drost Park – Kayaking Event
UPDATE: Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this event has been cancelled for 2020, but we expect to be back in 2021. Come out and Kayak with us for FREE at Drost Park in Maryville IL. We provide the boats, gear, safety personnel, you provide the great attitude! Pre-registration is required by calling 618-772-8555. You will be assigned an hour during the day to kayak. There will be a short Safety Orientation, then you will pick a life jacket, a paddle,…
Find out more »July 2020
The Firecracker Race
NOTE: Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, this event will not be held on July 18 but may be held later in the year. Check back this summer for updates. KAYAKS, CANOES, SUP, AND VOYAGER CANOE – IN THE RIVERLANDS AREA – just outside of St Louis, MO 15 MILE DOWNRIVER RACE FROM GRAFTON TO LINCOLN SHIELD, NEXT TO CLARK BRIDGE RACING ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER SAFETY PROVIDED BY THE USACE, MISSISSIPPI RIVER WATER TRAIL AND FRIENDS Visit our Race Website…
Find out more »March 2021
Mississippi Meanderings Series: Everyone’s River: A Conversation with Two People Who Kayaked the Length of the Mississippi
In Collaboration with the Missouri History Museum Mississippi Meanderings is going on-line this year! We're partnering with the Missouri History Museum for river-themed talks on the first three Thursdays in March 2021. Every year a few dozen adventurous individuals paddle the length of the Mississippi River from its source in northern Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Traveling 2,300 miles in a canoe, kayak, or standup paddleboard requires solid preparation, good equipment, perseverance, patience, and some helping hands from strangers along the way. In…
Find out more »Mississippi Meanderings Series: Where the Peep Light Leads
In Collaboration with the Missouri History Museum Mississippi Meanderings is going on-line this year! We're partnering with the Missouri History Museum for river-themed talks on the first three Thursdays in March 2021. Lee Hendrix has spent much of his adult life working on the Mississippi River pursuing the glow of a peep light. In this talk, Hendrix will share stories about his experiences piloting commercial towboats, overnight passenger boats such as the American Queen, gambling boats, day excursion vessels, the massive M/V Mississippi, and dredge tenders. He’ll discuss…
Find out more »Mississippi Meanderings Series: High Water Everywhere: Blues, Gospel, and Country Music Response to the Flood of 1927
In Collaboration with the Missouri History Museum Mississippi Meanderings is going on-line this year! We're partnering with the Missouri History Museum for river-themed talks on the first three Thursdays in March 2021. When the Mississippi River and its tributaries flooded in 1927 it was arguably the greatest natural disaster in United States history. It went on to inspire more than 20 recorded songs. Many of them were blues, gospel, and country—the genres that most appealed to flood victims in the South—and the disaster was referenced in pop music as well. Music scholar and performer David Evans will play selections from these…
Find out more »February 2022
Mississippi Meanderings 2022
NOTE: This event has been rescheduled from January 22 to February 26. We river people need to get together, especially during the winter. What better opportunity than at the Mississippi River Water Trail Association's January event where you and your friends can meet other paddlers and learn from some great river experts? We're back with an in-person event in 2022, but due to on-going concerns about Covid-19, we're limiting attendance to 50 people in the auditorium. In-person attendees will be…
Find out more »June 2022
PaddleFest 2022
SAVE THE DATE and come paddle with us in the calm backwaters of the Mississippi River at Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary in West Alton, Missouri. Try out your skills and learn how to safely paddle in a kayak or canoe, test your balance on a stand-up paddle board, or take a guided tour at this ACA-sanctioned event. Guests can enjoy complimentary lifejackets, safety boaters, and paddling tips. More of a land-dweller? We'll have plenty of onshore activities to enjoy: recreation…
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