Have an oar-able time April 17-19 at Charleston outdoors fest

The East Coast Paddlesports and Outdoor Festival returns to Charleston’s James Island County Park the weekend of April 17-19.

The popular annual event features one of the country’s premier showcases of canoeing, kayaking and stand up paddleboarding (SUP). In 2013, the festival expanded to include a multitude of popular outdoor recreation activities in addition to paddling, such as mountain biking, slack lining, archery, climbing, and disc golf.

It’s an opportunity for fans of all ages and experience levels to connect with world-renowned instructors and sports equipment manufacturers: There will be more than 70 exhibitors there. Attendees can try out equipment, compete in races and other hands-on activities on site, and learn everything from the basics to expert skills in each sport.

The weekend kicks off April 17 – a Friday – with a special springtime edition of the Reggae Nights Concert Series from 8:30 to11 p.m. The live concert is open to the public for $10, free for festival registrants.

Other highlights?

April 18, you can compete or just watch amazing climbing action at the park climbing wall’s annual Palmetto Pump Climbing Competition.

Other festival highlights include Reel Paddling Film Festival, the BIC One Design SUP Challenge, slackline demos, the kids’ cardboard canoe race, a disc golf tournament, a mountain bike race, a tag team paddle adventure, and an archery contest. Many programs are also available for registration, ranging from beginner to expert level skill classes, to sessions on topics like birding by boat, yoga SUP, backcountry cooking, fly fishing, and kayak rolling.

For details – including event schedules, various admission packages and registration – visit CharlestonCountyParks.com.

This story was originally published April 3, 2015 at 12:15 PM with the headline "Have an oar-able time April 17-19 at Charleston outdoors fest."