What is Palmer Fest?

Palmer Fest is Canada's premier whitewater canoeing and kayaking festival, presented by Rapid Media and hosted at the Paddler Co-op Boathouse. Palmer Fest is a laid-back social, instructional and fun weekend event offering the very best whitewater canoe and kayak clinics, on-water canoe and kayak demos, camping, music and the Reel Paddling Film Festival.

When is Palmer Fest?

Palmer Fest is always the Victoria Day Weekend, which this year is May 21-23, 2010. Advance registration is required and this event sells out six to eight weeks in advance. Register early to receive the early bird discount.

Focus on Paddling

Palmer Fest includes the Palmer Fest whitewater kayak clinics, Single Blade Symposium whitewater canoe clinics and special women's only whitewater canoe and kayak programs. You may take clinics in only one of these categories or mix and match for a variety of topics on that weekend. In addition to instruction-based clnics these mini gatherings offer professional and social networking opporunities—meet new and old paddling buddies and chew the fat about your next adventures.

Itinerary at a Glance

Arrive and camp on the Friday night. Saturdays and Sundays will be the on-water clinics—two per day. The clinics go from 10am to 12pm and then again from 2pm to 4pm. You select your clinics in advance when you register.

Saturday and Sunday mornings visit the HUGE Exhibitor Alley and check out the latest in boats, gear, trips and instruction.

We are proud of Palmer Fest being a family friendly event making daycare available so that parents can escape to the water for the action. Daycare is available during the clinics—parents must pick up their children immediatly after each clinic.

On Saturday evenings there is a paddlers’ social including catered dinner, the best whitewater films of the 2010 Reel Paddling Film Festival World Tour, vendor exhibits and live music until 1 am.

The Madawaska River

The Madawaska River in beautiful Palmer Rapids is where Palmer Fest takes place and is Canada's most beginner-friendly class I-III section of whitewater. Not far away are the Upper, Middle and Lower sections of the Madawaska River (including Hass Hole), a run on the Bonnechere River and the mighty Ottawa River - all within an hour’s drive of the Palmer Fest site.

Your Registration Fee Includes:

• Camping at Paddler Co-op Boathouse—Friday and Saturday nights (see registration fees for this option, limited space, register now)
• Saturday night catered dinner
• Sunday morning continental breakfast
• All Palmer Fest, SBS8 and women's only clinics
• Extensive canoe and kayak test paddling/demos from our venders in our HUGE Exhibitor Alley
• Daycare services during the Saturday and Sunday clinics
• 2010 Reel Paddling Film Festival World Tour
• Live bands
• Free shuttle service between campsites on Saturday night, provided by Trailhead Ottawa (so you don’t have to drive between Jessup’s campground and the Paddler Co-op Boathouse)

Wristband Policy: You will receive a wristband that acts as your ticket for the weekend. Your wristband will be required for all clinics, test paddling, dinner, breakfast, films, bands and shuttles.

Note: Upon registration you’ll be required to sign a RELEASE OF LIABILITY, WAIVER OF CLAIMS, ASSUMPTION OF RISKS AND INDEMNITY AGREEMENT, please download and read this legal document in advance. You will asked to read and sign this legal document when you arrive and check in. Review this document in advance, Palmer_Fest-Waiver_2010.pdf  bytes