On August 7th and 8th, Moutardier Recreation Area at Nolin River Lake and Nolin Lake State Park will once again host the Rex Hurt Memorial NolinFest.
This year’s festival is filled with exciting events for all ages including fireworks, food, live bands, children’s activities, dancing, demonstration booths, an antique tractor show, a variety of vendors, and much more.
Competitions include a $1000 bass tournament, a $500 lake poker run, a $300 cornhole tournament, a karaoke competition, a Bluegrass Cellular texting competition, a campsite decorating contest, and a beach scavenger hunt. Best of all admission to NolinFest is free.
“We’ve got a great line-up this year.” said Martha Duvall, President of the Friends of Nolin River Lake, the nonprofit group organizing this year’s event. “We’re excited at the opportunity that people have to enjoy all these activities right by the lake. There’s something for everyone.”
“The 2009 NolinFest is a great chance for people to visit the lake, enjoy a lot of great food, music, and activities, and benefit several worthy charities, including Relay for Life, Santa’s Secret Hands, the Anneta Volunteer Fire Department, the Humane Society, and the Friends of Nolin,” said Chris Boggs, Park Manager with the Corps of Engineers at Nolin River Lake. “The Friends of Nolin have worked hard to organize NolinFest, and most of the activities they have scheduled are free to everyone. If you’re not there, you’re missing out.”
The music begins at the Moutardier picnic shelter Saturday, August 8th , at 11:30 a.m. with a performance by ‘Juice Groove,’ a Bowling Green band which features pop and country. Following Juice Groove will be an opportunity to watch and learn Eastern Swing Dancing. ‘Girl Talk’, an all girl band and ‘Silk & Steel’, from Louisville, will excite the crowd with a variety of 60’s, 70’s, & 80’s music, as well as pop hits and original songs, from 2-4:30 p.m. Both these bands play with the Conservatory of Music in Louisville, and have been performing together for several years. Visitors who want to learn or show off their line dancing talents will get that chance from 5-6 p.m. The karaoke competition, a fundraiser by Santa’s Secret Hands, will begin at 6 p.m. This competition serves as a qualifying event for Santa’s Secret Hands annual karaoke final. NolinFest will conclude at dark with another great fireworks show by Nite Lites out of Falls of Rough.
In addition to the events, a variety of activities will be available throughout the day at the Moutardier picnic shelter. Visitors can try to reach the top of the Kentucky Army National Guard’s rock climbing wall. The Corps of Engineers will host a free water safety carnival, with games and prizes for children. A free cornhole tournament for kids will be offered in the afternoon. Inflatable slides and games will be available for a small fee. Children can also get free canoeing lessons from the Corps of Engineers, while adults can rent canoes provided by Green River Canoeing and enjoy paddling on the lake. Air Evac Life Flight will be landing their helicopter near the shelter around 7 p.m. and providing information about their services throughout the day.
In between activities, visitors can browse through several vendors’ booths. Anneta Volunteer Fire Department and Red Roof BBQ will be selling food, including their famous pork sandwiches and delicious BBQ plates. A variety of demonstration booths and unique sale items will be available. Young and old will be fascinated by lessons in origami (the Japanese art of paper folding), the fishing skill of fly-tying, how to grow and harvest mushrooms for home use or sale, tips on growing and landscaping your yard. The Kentucky Blooodhound Search & Rescue Association will have dogs on hand to show off their tracking skills, and the Leitchfield Humane Society will be offering a raffle and opportunities to adopt pets from the Animal Shelter. Items offered for sale include customized Nolin Lake coasters, products from well-renowned Mary Wheatley (Cook with Mary), handmade boxes from the American chestnut tree, purses, beach bags, and more from Caught Ya Lookin’, giftware from My Father’s House, Brian’s custom golf carts, and the Big Green Egg grill,who will offer up samples for you to taste.
The tournaments and competitions are available everyone to enjoy. For those who play cornhole, a double elimination tournament will be held near the Moutardier picnic shelter; first toss is at 6 p.m. Guaranteed prizes of $300 for first place, $150 for second place, and $75 for third place will be awarded. Team registration for the tournament is $30 and will be from 5-6 p.m. Teams must register at the Friends of Nolin Lake booth. The cornhole tournament is sponsored by Ralph’s Market, Nolin and Rough River dock builder Kevin Bratcher, and the Friends of Nolin.
Bass fishermen can take part in the 2009 NolinFest Bass Tournament, organized by John Newton of USA Bassin’, and Sherbert VanMeter of Renegade Marine. The bass tournament is from 7 p.m.-7 a.m. at the Moutardier boat ramp. Entry fee is $100 and a guaranteed first prize is $1,000. All proceeds go to Relay for Life. Those with questions about the bass tournament can call John Newton at 270-286-4002 or 270-535-5774.
At noon at Moutardier Marina a poker run, sponsored by Martha Duvall of Twin Lakes Realty and Auction Co.will take place. A proze of $500 will be awarded to the winning hand in the 2009 NolinFest poker run. The poker run has a $20 entry fee for each hand played. Entrants can play multiple hands if they wish. Card pick-up points will be Moutardier Marina, Ponderosa Marina, Wax Marina, and the Nolin Lake State Park. The winning hand will be determined at Moutardier Marina at 5 p.m.
Other competitions are available as well. Bluegrass Cellular is sponsoring a series of texting competitions with prizes for winners, which will take place at their booth every hour on the half hour (12:30, 1:30, 2:30, etc). There will also be an antique tractor show and competition near the boat ramp.
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