LEWISTON — The L/A Riverfest is set to make a big splash again this year.

The fun kicks off Friday at Simard-Payne Memorial Park, where all activities will be held. They begin with a kickball tournament featuring 14 teams and 200 players. While most teams are sponsored by employers, some are also formed by community groups like the Great Falls Comedy Club.

According to Shanna Cox, president and CEO of the LA Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, the tournament is one of the most popular — and lively — events at the festival.

“It’s fun to watch. People get really competitive,” she said.

That’s not the only contest festival organizers have planned for Friday. There will also be a cornhole tournament and, for the first time, a whoopie pie eating contest.

Cox expects that both competitions will be popular this year because “they’ve generated a lot of excitement” on social media. “Folks can register in advance or they can pick up a registration packet the day of (the event,)” she added.

To register for the cornhole tournament, visit https://events.upliftlamaine.com/events/details/uplift-la-cornhole-tournament-23746. For those eager to stuff their face with Maine’s favorite dessert, register at https://business.lametrochamber.com/events/details/nutty-nettie-s-whoopie-pie-eating-contest-23838?calendarMonth=2024-07-01.

Friday’s event lineup includes more than just contests.

There will be a beer garden, food trucks, a vendor fair and even guided paddle tours throughout the day.

Cox said the guided paddle tours are a great way to see “the city skyline from the river” and “to explore the canals” while learning about the history of the Twin Cities. She stressed, however, that the tours are not the only opportunity to explore the Androscoggin River and see Lewiston and Auburn from a new perspective. Since the festival is offering canoe rentals starting at 10 a.m., folks can paddle on the river all day Friday — whether they own a boat or not.

For the fourth year in a row, the festival will host its iconic rowing regatta Saturday. Featuring at least 16 rowing crews, the race will start at 9 a.m. Rather than any ordinary rowing race, the Riverfest Regatta has a unique course with a 180-degree turn. Not only does this put the rowers’ skills to the test, it offers a one-of-a-kind experience for spectators. Typically, Lewiston Rowing President Amy Smith explained, viewers cannot witness a rowing race from start to finish. Due to the course’s special turn, however, spectators can see nearly the entire event — as long as they watch from Jenkins Memorial Footbridge between Lewiston and Auburn.

If the viewers stand at that spot, Smith said, “it’s the best spectating you’re ever going to have for a rowing race.”

After the regatta, Smith said they are encouraging folks to paddle the same course and give festival organizers feedback on their experience. That information will be used to create a new event for next year’s Riverfest, which is tentatively titled “Paddle Palooza.” It will feature three separate races for kayaks, canoes and stand-up boards, all competing on the same course as the rowers.

In exchange for their feedback on the course and ideas for the proposed event, participants will be given their choice of either a free drink at the beer tent or a free raffle ticket to win a kayak.

For more information on the regatta and open course, visit https://lewistonrowing.com/riverfest-regatta.

Not only will Saturday’s lineup feature a rowing regatta and give volunteers an opportunity to help the festival grow in the future, the L.L.Bean Bootmobile will make an appearance at Riverfest for the first time. L.L.Bean is one of the sponsors of this year’s festival and the workers manning the company’s iconic ride will be handing out free merchandise and swag to festivalgoers starting at 9 a.m. Saturday.

The festival, however, is about more than just having fun.

Riverfest is about celebrating the “river that connects our two cities and (which) has a long history of supporting (our communities),” Cox said.

For much of the 20th century, the Androscoggin was notorious for its pollution and noxious odors. Cox stressed that the river’s infamous reputation is a thing of the past.

“We’re currently at Class B water quality and people can swim and fish in the river safely,” she explained.

One of the goals of Riverfest is to show the community that the river is not only safe, but an excellent source of recreation and fun — and not just during Riverfest.

Cox said that “two years ago the city of Lewiston added a dock and there has been boat access from the Auburn side of the river for quite some time.” Those additions “have really increased the ability for anyone to use and paddle on the river any time of the year. It doesn’t have to be Riverfest for people to bring their boat down and we want people to see that and experience that.”

For Cox and the Lewiston Auburn Chamber of Commerce, getting more folks out on the river is important “because it’s such a big part of why it’s so great to live, to work and to play here in Androscoggin County.”

To find out more information about Riverfest and view the festival’s full schedule, visit https://discoverlamaine.com/the-riverfest/.