Paddlefest draws a record number of participants

CINCINNATI - The tenth anniversary of Paddlefest attracted a record number of participants Saturday morning with more than two thousand people participating in the event.

"We've declared it the 'Paddling Capital of the United States.' The largest paddling event in the country," said Brewster Rhoads, the Paddlefest Founder.

On Saturday morning, the large crowd of leisure paddlers launched from Coney Island to make their way 8 miles to Yeatman's Cove. "It's special because of the way everyone connects to the Ohio River. Thousands of people show up and its a party on Friday and a party on Saturday. Great food, great music and great people," said Tracy Smith of Anderson Township.

The Coast Guard shut down river traffic to power boats and barges from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. "It's play time for paddlers on the Ohio River once a year it happens and that's for safety purposes. We have 50 safety paddlers and 23 safety boats on the river so safety is our top priority."

At the end of the paddle, the public is welcome to attend a festival at Yeatman's Cove that runs until 2:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon.