SAVE THE DATE FOR THE 2023 MCKENZIE RIVER DRIFT BOAT FESTIVAL!

The 2023 McKenzie River Drift Boat Festival is scheduled for Saturday, April 22, from 10:00 to 4:00 at Eagle Rock Lodge. The event is a fun day with like-minded folks who are interested in or are obsessed with drift boats and river dories. Come and join the fun!

A few event details:

• For those planning to bring a boat to the show please arrive early enough (aprx.9:00 am-ish) so that your drift boat can get a courtesy tow from the parking area to the riverfront grounds.
• If you plan to arrive by the river, plan to arrive by 10:00am.
• Those who are interested in joining an informal flotilla to Eagle Rock should plan to launch from Finn Rock at 9:00. Plan to arrive at Eagle Rock Lodge at or around 10.
• Boats can be pulled from the river and parked on the grounds for the Festival and then re-launched for the takeout one-half mile downstream at Silver Creek landing. Please pre-arrange your shuttles.
• There is no pre-registration or fee for showing your boats.

MRGA Invited to Discovery Center Event April 22, 5:30-7:00PM

Brad Dimock, Colorado River guide, river dory historian, dory builder, teacher, and
owner-operator of Fretwater Boatworks in Flagstaff, AZ, will be a featured
presenter at the McKenzie River Discovery Center’s Hatchery building on Saturday
evening, April 22 from 5:30 to 7:00, including a reception from 5:00 to 5:30. His
talk will tie into the evening’s theme, Spawning Grounds: It Started with this River
and will be a show-and-tell of the links between the McKenzie, Rogue and
Colorado dories, some of the histories therein, and generally enamor the
audience with tales of connections, exploits and good humor.

In addition to Dimock, Spawning Grounds will feature a donation by Bob Hirt of
the last known drift boat built by Woodie Hindman. Steve Mealey, one of the
earliest proponents of the Discovery Center, will accept the gift on behalf of
Discovery, and he will set the stage for Spawning Grounds; Dr. Gordon Grant,
research geologist and hydrologist for the USFS and courtesy OSU professor, will
speak to the landscape- hydrology and suitability of the drift boat to this
environment. The program will be capped with a progress report of Discovery by
Executive Director Shirley Braunstein and Board President, Gene Jones. According
to Roger Fletcher, evening program coordinator, seating is limited.

RSVPs are therefore requested by texting 503.559.0204.

“This program is the capstone event for the week of the boats,” according to
Fletcher. He reports that the “week includes the favored drift boat building
workshop April 17 – 21, taught by Jayson Hayes of Hayes Custom Boats, followed
on Saturday by the ever-popular Wooden Boat Festival from 10-4:00 at Eagle
Rock Lodge.” Fletcher notes that the boat building class is full, and that Randy
Dersham of the Oregon Boat Project is coordinating the boat festival.