Held each year at the start of August in friendly Fort Smith, Paddlefest is the North’s premier celebration of boats, rivers and fun. Scores of locals and dozens of visitors descend on the Slave River. There, they’ll enjoy team races in traditional voyageur canoes, tours of the white-pelican nesting area, entry-level instruction on whitewater paddling, games that range from goofy paddleboard jousting to Olympic-style slalom kayaking – and the list goes on. Here’s just a glimpse of what Paddlefest offers:
