By Brian Ojanpa
The Free Press
NEW ULM —
Neil and Sharon Henry arose Saturday morning in their Sauk Rapids home and began musing upon ways to spend their day.
They went online to a state tourism website and decided upon the Riverblast festival in New Ulm.
“We came for the bands, the old-time music ... and the beer. We knew they’d have beer,” Neil Henry said
The event celebrating the Minnesota River has been held for 11 years at Riverside Park, offering free entertainment heavy on musical acts and river-centric activities for the 5,000 or so attendees of the two-day event.
“This is a real grassroots thing,” Riverblast organizer Scott Sparlin said of the 100 volunteers it takes to put on the event.
On Saturday it also was a kayaker and canoeist thing, with competitors participating in a new offering this year — a timed obstacle course.
Mary Foley of Mankato maneuvered her short kayak around the buoys to take the early lead in a time of 3 minutes, 37 seconds as laid back course judge Joe Michel timed her with his wristwatch.
What are the rules Joe?
“I’m pretty flexible,” he said. “I’m just trying to make them up as I go along.”
There was no entry fee to compete, and for fest-goers who merely wanted canoe rides, Mankato Paddling and Outing Club members stood ready to oblige.
“We tell people that we don’t charge anything to take them out, but we do to take them back in,” said club member Joe DeLory of Janesville.
DeLory also tried his hand on the obstacle course and found it daunting as he muscled his long 17-foot kayak against the strong current.
“Did you time me with a clock or a calendar?” he asked Michel as he paddled back into shore with a time of 7:08.
Sparlin said the canoe/kayak obstacle course took the place of the popular flotilla competition, whereby participants decorated watercraft and donned costuming limited only by their imaginations and local standards of decency.
Sparlin said it was eliminated due to too much infighting.
“The competition was getting too competitive. Too many people fighting — why is he the judge? My flotilla is better than his ...”
Meantime, the Henrys were kicking back in the afternoon sun while an accordion player pumped out his riffs onstage.
The Henrys said they revel in spur-of-the-moment day trips such as this.
“Yesterday we were at the state fair, today we’re here and who knows where we’ll be tomorrow,” Neil Henry said.
“But Tuesday we’ll be back to work.”
