Celebrating river gorge for 28 years

Liza Davitch

The Longfellow River Gorge Festival (formerly Share the River Gorge) is a free, family-friendly event that has been a community favorite for almost three decades. Appreciation for our neighborhood’s natural river resources are abundant and there is something for everyone at the event.
The event is sponsored by the Longfellow Community Council (LCC) and the Environment and River Gorge Committee. It's the day to step off the river bank and into a canoe for a short trip on the Mississippi River with Wilderness Inquiry, learn about the sand flats on the beach with a National Park Service Ranger, walk the gorge with a geologist from University of St Thomas, nature paths to the restored oak savanna with Friends of the Mississippi River Conservation Organization, enjoy free ice cream, and connect with neighbors! At the tables and education areas on River Road, there will be opportunities to learn about many of the organizations that do wonderful work on and around the river. You'll have a chance to discuss the projects they have going on and how you can get involved.
Two very special highlights this year will be the opportunity to hear stories and insights from Santee Sioux Dakhóta elder, Ramona Stately, and to revel in the music and spoken word of Native artist, composer and rapper, Kitto.
Dan Schultz, LCC Environment and River Gorge Committee (ERGC) member and current festival organizer, says, “This is a great day to show appreciation for the the river gorge. This is the only natural canyon on the entire Mississippi River and it’s right in our backyard.”
He gives much gratitude to Longfellow residents, Lyndon Torstenson (a retired National Park Service ranger) and Carolyn Carr (a conservation biologist) who were instrumental from the start and expansion of what’s now become the River Gorge Festival. What started as a free ice cream social in 1996 evolved into the festival it is today.
Dan also points out the contributions that many have given to maintain the area. “Our community has a long history of clean-up to remove buckthorn and invasive plants. The Friends of the Mississippi River organization organizes clean-ups and members of our community show up and donate their time. Sometimes the city just doesn't have the resources to get around to it, so it’s up to us to make it a nicer place there.”
Matt Vernon, another ERGC member and active festival organizer, adds, “We call it a festival, but it’s also educational and it helps people connect the place (the gorge) and center it in a way that’s different from the way they experience it on a daily basis, whether it's crossing the river on a bridge, or biking by it; to just stop and connect with people. Some people come every year, people of all generations and backgrounds. Getting in that canoe… seeing them have that experience and being part of that experience is really valuable.”
The River Gorge Festival is Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, noon to 4 p.m. at 34th – 36th Streets along West River Parkway. Volunteers are always welcome! If people are looking for ways to get involved, to donate to the festival, or for more information go to: longfellow.org/river-gorge-festival/, or longfellow.org/shop/donation/