Accessible activity focus of upcoming regatta
Activities at this year's Moraine State Park Regatta are planned to accommodate small groups of people as part of the planning committee's new focus on eco-recreation.
While this will help mitigate crowds to align with COVID-19 guidelines that are in place during the event in August, Amanda Becker, event planner with Appleseed Events, said the focus on small group size is meant to demonstrate accessible activities anyone can try any time they are at the park.
“We tried to reprioritize the focus,” Becker said. “We want the whole point of the event to be about not only promoting Moraine, but showcasing different activities people of all ages and abilities can do at the park.”
The regatta takes place from Aug. 6 to 8, and will celebrate Moraine's “50+1” anniversary, since last year's event had to be canceled because of COVID-19.
Mike Hall, president of the Regatta Leadership Board, said the cancelation of last year's event led the committee to plan differently this year, which ended up opening new opportunities and ideas, such as the focus on eco-recreation. Planned activities for the weekend include kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, yoga, hiking, birding and pilates.
“We are trying some different things,” Hall said. “I am glad to see that events are coming back. We just need to do them as safely as possible.”
In the past, the regatta has used a pre-registration system to schedule visitors for certain activities, and Becker said almost every event will need pre-registration this year because of the altered plans. She said the committee is still looking for a pre-registration system at this time.
Jack Cohen, president of the Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau, said this year's regatta will probably be one of the biggest the park has had in several years because it was lost last year.
He also said the regatta is a big draw for people in the counties surrounding Butler, and it will likely drive a lot of revenue to local businesses and organizations throughout the weekend.
“Most of those folks want to eat, they need to stop to use a gas station, they need places to stay,” Cohen said. “All that generates revenue for us.”
Updates about the regatta's schedule and vendors list will be posted to its website as it is made available. Becker said plans are still in the works.
