Pomperaug River Festival Set For August 18

More than 200 miles of streams and smaller rivers flow into the Pomperaug River from Bethlehem, Morris, Watertown, Roxbury, Washington, Middlebury, Woodbury, and Southbury. Carol Haskins, outreach director of the Pomperaug River Watershed Coalition, said, “Local residents should know what a treasure they have in this river! It not only offers miles of recreation and scenic beauty, it’s also connected to our vital source of clean drinking water. That’s why PRWC will be celebrating with our second annual Pomperaug River Festival!”

On Saturday, August 18, the public is invited to Settlers’ Park in Southbury between 10 am and 2 pm to join in the celebration. The River Festival — sponsored by TD Bank, Connecticut Community Foundation, Dr Jack Zazzaro of Southbury, and the Southbury Women’s Club — will feature a variety of activities for young and old, including a live trout demonstration, relay races, a miniboat float, arts and crafts, games, exhibits, and much more.

Ms Haskins noted, “The live trout demonstration we offered last year was such a huge hit that we just had to include it this year. It’s not every day you get to see a live, trophy-sized trout up close and in person. There’s something simply magical about meeting and adopting your own trout, then releasing it into the river.”

Rowledge Pond Aquaculture of Newtown will deliver live fish during the festival and talk about the differences between the three species of trout before they are released into the Pomperaug River.

For those looking for a slightly bigger challenge, participants can try their hand at fly-casting and fly-tying with guidance from members of the Naugatuck-Pomperaug Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

Admission is free. For more information or for updates on scheduled activities, call PRWC at 203-263-0076 or visit www.pomperaug.org.