POWHATAN POINT — The Belmont Soil and Water Conservation District and Ohio State University Extension are sponsoring the inaugural Ohio River Festival to raise environmental awareness.

Hannah Carpenter, operations manager for the Belmont Soil and Water Conservation District said the event is designed to be informative and environmentally-focused.

“The goal is to educate and assist preservation of our two fantastic waterways, Captina Creek and the Ohio River, which are underutilized and underappreciated,” Carpenter said.

Carpenter says people can help preserve Captina Creek and the Ohio River and other bodies of water by avoiding pollution such as putting items and contaminants into them. This can be as basic as not throwing a plastic bottle into the water, or more complex, such as a farmer being mindful about runoff from fertilizer.

“We hope the event encourages an appreciation of the outdoors for everyone and especially the next generation,” Carpenter said.

The event features free boat rides, canoeing, fishing, information on boating safety, raffles, food trucks and vendors. There will also be a kids’ corner and 500 free popscicles. Free T-shirts will be given to the first 50 attendees.

The festival is to be held Saturday, Aug. 17 at Powhatan Point Marina from 1 to 6 p.m.

For more information, contact Brooke Sanderson or Hannah Carpenter at 740-526-0027.