Drive along Hood River's Oak Street and you know immediately windsurfing season has arrived.
Cars loaded with boards and sails vie for parking spots. Colorful rows of sale items crowd the sidewalks outside downtown windsurfing shops.
To celebrate the return of the warm west summer winds, the American Windsurfing Industry Association (AWIA), in partnership with the Columbia Gorge Windsurfing Association (CGWA), has put together three days of activities, called Windfest, that anyone can enjoy and take part in.
AWIA will be offering the chance to try all types of brand new windsurfing gear from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday through Sunday, at the Hood River Event Site.
It only costs $5 a day to demo as many boards and sails, as you want. Free lessons will also be offered.
Saturday night, from 5:30 -10, CGWA will host its ninth annual Pray for Wind Party at the Best Western Hood River Inn.
The Northwest's premiere Reggae band, Byron Mercurius and Rhythm Culture, will be performing live.
Silent and oral auctions, along with numerous raffles, offer something for everybody, including vacation packages, plane, boat and train rides, recreation gear, art objects, golf, and horseback riding.
Dinner from a full barbeque menu will be served for only $5 a plate.
Tickets for the Pray for Wind Party can be purchased in advance for $10 at Big Winds, Windance, and Windwing in Hood River, or for $12 at the door.
Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., bargain hunters can head down to CGWA's all recreation gear swap meet held in the Hood River Expo parking lot.
For more information on Windfest Weekend, look for Gorge Windfest newsletters at most windsurfing shops or go to www.cgwa.net.
Commented