The Big Paddle Is Back — and This Year It's the 15th
On June 6th, the Ridgefield waterfront turns into one of the best days of the summer. Kayaks, dragon boats, live drumming, a beer garden, and a hayride to downtown — here's everything you need to know about the 2026 Big Paddle Waterfront Festival.
Out on Lake River — the heart of the Big Paddle every June.
Every first Saturday in June, Ridgefield does something worth getting up early for. The Big Paddle Waterfront Festival — now in its 15th year — started back in 2012 as a celebration of the Lewis River to Vancouver Lake Water Trail designation, and it has grown into one of the signature days on our community calendar. If you've lived here a while and never made it down to the waterfront for this one, 2026 is the year to change that.
The festival spans the waterfront and downtown, with something going on from early morning through mid-afternoon. You can paddle five miles on Lake River, ride a dragon boat, hike into the National Wildlife Refuge, shop the farmers market, grab a beer, and catch live music — all without leaving Ridgefield. It's a genuinely good day.
Get Out on the Water
The centerpiece of the day is the paddle itself. There are three ways to get on the water, ranging from a guided wildlife tour to the full group flotilla experience.
Free Register on Meetup →
$10 / boat Register on Cogran →
$45 single / $55 tandem Reserve through Alder Creek →
The dragon boat paddle is free and one of the most fun things you can do on a Saturday morning in Ridgefield.
Rental Tip
- No boat? Alder Creek Kayak has rentals available at the waterfront at 50% off with code Firstsat — while supplies last.
- A free Kayak Check runs from 11 AM to 3 PM, so you can stow your boat, grab food, and head back out.
- The discount code does not apply to guided tours — only rental gear.
"The flotilla travels 2.5 miles north on Lake River, past the wildlife refuge, to the Columbia River, and back — five miles total on one of the most scenic stretches of water in Clark County."
Hike Into the Refuge
If paddling isn't your thing — or you want to do both — the Friends of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge are leading free guided hikes at 10 AM and 1 PM straight from the waterfront into the Refuge. No registration required, and the Refuge is fee-free all day. National Trails Day is the reason Big Paddle exists in the first place, and this is the most direct way to mark it.
The Waterfront Festival
Even if you never touch the water, the festival itself is worth the trip. The waterfront fills up with live music, lawn games, food, and the kind of easy, unhurried energy that makes Ridgefield summer feel like summer.
The waterfront fills up fast — Lions Club, Eight Cow, Sourpuss, the Chamber beer garden, and more.
Food & Drinks
- Beer Garden — Ridgefield Chamber of Commerce + Ridgefield Craft Brewing
- Ridgefield Lion's Club Food Tent
- Eight Cow Creamery Truck
- Sourpuss Lemonade Truck
Live Music
Takohachi opens the morning with traditional Japanese taiko drumming and dance — a striking way to start the day.
- 9 – 10:30 AM: Takohachi — Traditional Japanese Drum & Dance Ensemble
- 11 AM – 2:30 PM: Hit Machine — A seven-piece band covering the Bee Gees, Prince, AC/DC, Taio Cruz, and more. They're a crowd-pleaser and the set runs right through the peak of the festival.
Fun Zone
Free lawn games — volleyball, spike ball, ladder ball, inflatable soccer darts, basketball, yard dice. The kind of stuff that makes two hours disappear without you noticing.
Hayride to Downtown
A free hayride runs between the waterfront and Davis Park in downtown Ridgefield from 10 AM to 2 PM. It's a genuinely charming way to get between the two, and it means you can park once and spend the whole day without worrying about the car.
Downtown has its own things going on during Big Paddle:
- First Saturday & Ridgefield Farmers Market — Davis Park, 9 AM – 2 PM. Local produce, handmade goods, the usual good stuff.
- Used Spring Book Sale — Friends of the Ridgefield Community Library, 9 AM – 3 PM at the Ridgefield Community Library.
- Ridgefield Art Gallery Featured Artist Reception — 5–7 PM at 104 N Main Avenue. Gallery member Kaylin Rose, themed "Mythos." A nice way to end the day if you're still in the mood.
About the Water Trail — and Why It Matters
The Big Paddle exists because of a water trail. The Lewis River to Vancouver Lake Water Trail was established in 2012, and the first Big Paddle was held on June 2 of that year to celebrate. The trail covers 32 river miles — Vancouver Lake, the full length of Lake River, stretches of the Columbia, and up both forks of the Lewis River toward La Center and Woodland.
What makes a water trail distinct from other trails is that traveling it doesn't change it. It's a sustainable form of use, which is a good thing when the water runs through a National Wildlife Refuge with beavers, herons, tundra swans, and bald eagles for neighbors.
Indigenous history note: The land along this water trail has been home to Chinookan Peoples of the Lower Columbia River since time immemorial. The village of Cathlapotle — one of the largest on the river — was located on what is now the Carty Unit of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. A replica Plankhouse on the Refuge serves as an education and interpretive center. It's worth knowing this history before you paddle past it.
Getting There & Parking
Free parking is available at the waterfront. The hayride connects the waterfront to Davis Park in downtown, so one parking spot covers your whole day. Arrive early if you're doing the 8:30 AM dragon boat paddle — they fill up fast.
Quick Links
More from Meanwhile in Ridgefield
The Big Paddle is one of those days that reminds you why living in a small town with a waterfront is actually pretty great. Mark June 6 on the calendar, register for a paddle before they fill, and come spend the day with us.
