Macatawa Water Festival will celebrate water, learning and fun

HOLLAND — If you’re looking for a day out with the family that's educational and fun, look no further than the Macatawa Water Festival. Hosted by the ODC Network and Windmill Island Gardens, this free event will run 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, July 13.

More than 20 community partners will offer ways to explore the wonders of the Macatawa Watershed through kayaking, rain barrel workshops, a children’s bike course, live animals, games and art activities. Attendees can also learn about the watershed, celebrate the outdoors and take home valuable knowledge on how you can enhance and protect this shared resource.

Here’s a look at some of the water activities and educational experiences designed to engage all ages:

• CultureWorks will utilize “franken-bugs," where artists can combine stamps of different bug body parts to invent their own bug and take home their design.
• The Allegan Conservation District will lead a water-cycle watercolor craft to teach about each stage of the cycle.
• The Wolf Lake State Fish Hatchery will bring a live, prehistoric lake sturgeon and discuss how the largest fish in Michigan is making a comeback.
• 20 Liters will allow visitors to capture surface water and filter it using the company's filter, making the water clean and safe to drink.
• Ottawa County Parks and Recreation will have a replica of a historic Gabbagouache canoe.
• The Holland Board of Public Works will show what water savings come with smart home and lawn water use.
• The ODC Network will provide both single and double kayaks for participants to use along the canal surrounding Windmill Island.
• Velo City will have bikes and helmets to teach children bike skills and trail stewardship as they bike around the island.

Additionally, there will be three hands-on rain barrel workshops at the Windmill Island Pavilion at 9, 10 and 11 a.m. These workshops will focus on how to use rainscaping practices, like rain barrels, to decrease stormwater runoff on your property. Registration for these workshops is required before the event.

There will be a limited number of barrels, so register early at outdoordiscovery.org/programs/#calendar.

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The festival will happen rain or shine. Those attending are encouraged to bring snacks if they’d like, as there will be no food vendors on-site, and to bring a reusable water bottle to help cut down on the amount of waste this event makes.

This event would not be possible without all of the event sponsors and community partners. A special thank you to Boar’s Head.

— Sam Greene is a Land and Water Intern with the ODC Network, studying environmental health and conservation at Calvin University

About This Series:MiSustainable Holland is a collection of community voices sharing updates about local sustainability initiatives.This Week’s Sustainability Framework Theme: Community Knowledge: The collective knowledge and energy of the community is an incredible resource that must be channeled to where it's needed.