Rally for the River Festival 2008

The 9th Annual Rally for the River Festival
The Jones Watershed
www.jonesfalls.org

The Jones Falls Watershed Association could not have asked for a more perfect Sunday afternoon. The 9th Annual Rally for the River Festival was a family friendly event not to be missed. The association started the rally in order to help support the on-going restoration of the waterway. Being relatively new to the region, I had driven on the cities main north south freeway, the Jones Falls Express (or JFX for short), and not once did I know about the river that runs along it from which it derives its name. During the rally they close off the northbound part of this major highway in order to increase awareness of the environment. Here the focus was on the river and it’s importance to Baltimore. Although the much abused and polluted Jones Falls is not ideal for swimming, it can be kayaked safely, and today was the perfect day to rent one and explore. Not a fan of kayaking? Not a problem- other options included biking, skating, rollerblading, running, or just strolling down the JFX.

The small donation fee of five dollars per adult was well worth it. All proceeds went towards restoring and protecting Baltimore’s streams, rivers, neighborhood parks, and the Chesapeake Bay. The festival is not only fun, but serves a valuable purpose. It gets the message out about the importance of preserving the environment. I enjoyed the warm weather, listened to the live bands perform, ate the much anticipated “fair food,” and also to my surprise learned a lot as well. Instead of the typical craft and business vendors that one may see at any given civic festivity, the theme of eco-awareness took center stage. Included were many environmental groups, earth friendly vendors, and other eco-centric non-profits. Participants were informed on how to reduce their carbon footprint and lead a greener lifestyle.

It was an event for a real cause with an important message. We live in a wasteful society, one in which we neglect and inevitably damage our environment. The most important point of the festival, is that we all need to be aware of our actions and move swiftly to reduce our harmful effects on the environment in order to ensure a greener, more beautiful and safe future for all.