It’s about as close as you can get to the whitewater of Colorado or Georgia‚ without leaving Madison County.
On June 28, Maryville’s Park and Recreation Committee will host kayaking at the Drost Park Lake.
The free sessions start at noon and are scheduled every hour through 4 p.m.
Basic instruction on kayaking and safety will start each session.
Participants will then be able to try out one of 30 kayaks on the lake. Tandem kayaks for adults and children under 10 will also be available.
Committee Chairman Sharon Petty said this annual event is one of Maryville’s most popular.
“This is one of our premier events. People cannot believe that they can come out to Drost Park and within a few minutes of instruction and finding the correct size vest and choosing their kayak, they are out on the water experiencing a new activity,” Petty said. “And it’s all free.”
Craig Heaton of Collinsville returns to lend his expertise and kayaks and his white water friends from the Canoe and Kayaking Club of St. Louis and the Alpine Shop of St. Louis will assist.
Team River Runner, a group that helps service members and the disabled discover the thrill of water sports, will also be participating.
Pre-registration is requested to balance out the attendance during the day and ensure that everyone gets time on the water.
Contact Christy at 345-7028, ext. 5 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday to reserve a spot.
Petty said registering is a must because there are only so many kayaks available each hour.
“Registration is key. We want people to register for a time slot. That way they can come out about 15 minutes before their time, fill out the paperwork and be ready to get into a kayak,” Petty said. “We have a limited number of kayaks and if we can manage the times, no one has to wait and no one gets disappointed.”
Petty said the program draws returning participants as well as those new to the sport.
“We just put the information up on the web site and we already have calls coming in,” she said. “I noticed that they are families who have done this for the past three or even four years. It’s a good family, afternoon event.”
Drost Lake, meanwhile, can accommodate a large number of kayaks with plenty of room to spare.
“Drost Lake is perfect. It’s large enough and has a number of fingers that allow for a large number of kayaks and no one gets in anyone else’s way,” Petty said. “Yet (it’s) small enough for the safety boats to see everyone. It’s quite a sight to see all those colorful kayaks out on the water.”
And while the program is being conducted in Maryville, anyone who wants to take to the water can.
“It is open to everyone. We want to provide Maryville residents an opportunity to come out and enjoy Drost Park, but it is open to anyone that would like to try a new experience,” Petty said. “Drost Park and Drost Lake are Maryville’s hidden gems and we would like people from other communities to come out and enjoy it as well.”
Meanwhile, on June 26 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., the University of Illinois Master Gardeners will host an Open House at Drost Park. A number of Master Gardeners will be stationed around the garden to answer questions about their plantings and also about specific garden inquiries.
The main purpose of the garden is to demonstrate to the public various common and uncommon plants and gardening techniques. These include raised beds, tree planting, pruning, deadheading, companion plantings, weed control, composting and staking techniques.
The Master Gardeners will also be selling more than 150 varieties of daylilies that evening or ordered for planting at a later date.
This event is also free.