ACTIVITIES:

June 12, 2010 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Exhibits: 11 to 5 p.m.
Rip Tide Beach Party: 5 to 7 p.m.

The Gathering Waters Festival is a great location to watch
the Milwaukee Air Show!

The festival will also celebrate
National Get Outdoors Day and National Marina Day
also celebrated on June 12, 2010

Bike Tour of the Valley to the Festival on Hank Aaron State Trail:
Join a free bike tour of the Menomonee River Valley on the Hank Aaron State Trail to Lakeshore State Park. Tour begins at the Chimneys area near Palermos Pizza on 35th & Canal St. Parking available at the Chimneys. Take a slow ride and learn about the Valley's Valley’s rich environmental and historical past and how it connects to Lakeshore State Park and the lakefront. Check-in at 9:45 a.m. with 10:00 start to arrive at the Gathering Waters Festival at 11 a.m. Staffed and secure bike parking on Lakeshore State Park available so you can enjoy the Festival and then ride back to your car or home.

No sign-up required. Contact Melissa Cook, DNR, at 414.263.8559 with questions and visit www.hankaaronstatetrail.org for a map of the Trail. 

Get Your Park Passport:
Get your free Passport when you enter the Park and search for answers to questions to win great door prizes like: a free bike; Summer Festival Packages (ethnic festival tickets, hats & t-shirts); Kohler low-flow show heads and toilets, Marcus Amphitheater tickets; memberships to DW, MAM, Betty Brinn; sailing lessons at Milwaukee Community Sailing Center, gift certificate and more!

Bike Village with Cory the Bike Fixer:
Get your bike inspected, helmet fitted, or test ride new bike models at the Village. Check-out mini-workshops and get info on Milwaukee’s bike trails. Children’s bike helmets donated by Habush, Habush and Rottier. Get a new helmet properly fitted for a small donation.

Canoe and Kayak with REI:
Have you ever wondered what it felt like to float on top of the water in a kayak? Here’s your opportunity to test paddle and try kayaking for FREE. REI staff will assist you and provide boats, PFD’s, paddles. Wear fast drying clothing and water shoes. Questions? Contact Scott Mosser,
at 262-783-6150 or smosser@rei.com.

Fishing:
Sponsored by the WI DNR
Bring your pole or use one of ours and fish Lakeshore State Park’s lagoon with a rich variety of trout, bass, walleye and even pan fish. DNR staff and other fishing groups can help kids get started. There’ll be variety of demos all day long on lures, knots and fly fishing demos throughout the day with Trout Unlimited.

Geocaching:
Check-out the Wisconsin Geocaching Association’s free “Geocaching 101” demos. Learn about this new form of high-tech treasure hunting and go on a hunt for hidden geocaches using a handheld GPS navigation receiver. There will be permanent and temporary geocaches are on the Park.

Milwaukee’s Waters Area: Sponsored by the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewage District (MMSD) and Veolia Water Milwaukee
Various groups will display interactive exhibits on topics ranging from Milwaukee’s three rivers to our Great Lake Michigan, from drinking water to wastewater treatment and from our beaches to the critters in the water. Successes, challenges and issues will be highlighted. Meet the scientists and researchers from the WI DNR and Milwaukee’s own UWM Great Lakes WATER Institute – the largest freshwater research facility on the Great Lakes!

Kohler Company –Low Flow Solutions:
See the latest in water conserving, low-flow faucets, shower heads and toilets. Learn other way to conserve water in your home and yard.

Green Solutions Area: Inside the Milwaukee Waters Tent
This area will contain simple things you can do to make a difference in the quality of your life and the planets. There will be demos and exhibits on smart water use, green & inexpensive cleaning products, rain gardens, green roofs, composting, connecting rain barrels, growing healthy lawns and gardens, planting trees, using native plants and more.

Wellness Area: Sponsored by Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation
There will be a variety of healthy living ideas and demos from healthy cooking, health screenings, sports medicine to the health benefits of water. Learn a better golf swing or walk the Park’s mile trail.

WI DNR and U.S. Forest Service:
Say hello to Smokey Bear and Woodsy the Owl. Get a free evergreen seedling. Buy state park stickers.

Just 4 Kids Area: Sponsored by MilwaukeeMoms.com
Kids and parents too will love the variety of activities at the festival including a bike tour of the Menomonee Valley by Miller Park to the festival, bike inspections, helmet fittings, rock wall climbing, kayaking, fishing and kite flying. In the Just 4 Kids area there will also be other activities with Havenwoods State Forest, Wehr Nature Center, Betty Brinn Museum, Discovery World, live animals, outdoor training, art activities with the Milwaukee Art Museums Kohl’s Color Wheels Van.

Scouts:
Calling all Scouts! Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Sea Scouts. Check-in at the Scout Tent for a list of activities you can do at the festival to earn recognitions and badges.

Park Boat Docks and Visiting Vessels:
Celebrate National marina Day and boating in WI! Check-out the many leisure, fishing and research vessels including the: W.G. Jackson (65 feet, Grand Valley State Univ. MI – docked at Discovery World), Neeskay (71 feet, Great Lakes WATER Institute), the Peligos (43 feet, MMSD), Gaylord Nelson (45 feet, DNR), DNR Boomshocker fish assessment boat (20 feet) and the Milwaukee Riverkeeper (18 feet, Milwaukee Riverkeeper) Fat Cat Catamaran (40” foot charter), search & rescue: Milwaukee Police and Fire Departments and the Coast Guard

Boat Rides: Pontoon rides (Performance Yacht), sail boat rides, Lake MI Cruises with the Jackson at noon, 1:30 and 4:30 from Discovery World - docks tours available. You can reserve a slip on the Park anytime by visiting www.friendslsp.org

Kite Flying with Gift of Wings:
Set sail or learn how to fly a kite with a variety of kites that are provided for free and for purchase. See the giant octopus kite and other giant kites fill the sky!

Music - Sponsored by Rip Tide:
Coventry Jones (11 to 1), Embedded Reporter (1 to 3) and One Drum (5-7-reggae and interactive drumming, percussion and vocals) and David Drake (Folk and Shanty)

Food and Beverages: Rip Tide Bar and Grill and other vendors

Electric Car:
Check-out the future of driving with and electric car and charging station.

Artistically Painted Rain Barrels: Donated by the MMSD
Local artists will paint rain barrels donated by the MMSD which will be on sale at the festival to help support the Park.