The popular French Broad River Festival begins Friday, April 29, at the Hot Springs Campground & Spa and runs through Sunday. There will be great local music, sports, kid’s activities, and plenty of great food. Musical acts include Great American Taxi, The Bottle Rockets, Snake Oil Medicine Show, and others.

The Raft Race is the biggest mass start, whitewater raft race in the Southeast. During the nine-mile event, rafters will experience Class 1–4 whitewater excitement as well as bumping boats and a lot of innocent heckling. The race starts at 9 a.m. on Friday. In the Paddle with the Pros event on Saturday, canoeing legend Eli Herbert will lead paddlers on an exciting river excursion. Eli will also host a canoe clinic for those with their own boat and gear.

Also on Saturday, mountain bikers can sign up for the annual French Broad River Mountain Bike Race with plenty of great prizes for top finishers. The Kid’s Village is open all weekend and has everything to keep children (12 and under) happy.

The Festival prides itself on respecting the land and the river and attendees can sign up for the River Clean-Up on Thursday before the event, and helpers will receive a discount to the Festival. Along with the cleanup, vendors are required to use biodegradable containers, and there are recycling stations located throughout the festival. People are also encouraged to carpool.

Ticket sales benefit the American Whitewater, The Mountain Area Child & Family Center, and Hot Springs Community Learning Center. Over the past 14 years, the event has raised $100,000 for area charities

Early Bird tickets (prior to April 4) are $65 online at frenchbroadriverfestival.com. After that, tickets can be purchased online or at the gate for $75. For complete details, visit frenchbroadriverfestival.com or call 828.230.4054.