Mark you calendars! The 12th Annual Olentangy River Festival will be held this year on Saturday, June 21st at Mingo Park from 12n to 4pm.

     The popular festival celebrates water conservation by inviting friends of the river to the park for an afternoon of education and fun. You can expect some great food trucks, games for kids, live music, fly fishing demos, and more. 

     The Festival is now calling for nominations for the Olentangy Watershed Conservation Awards!

     The Conservation Awards were created to celebrate the individuals, groups, businesses, organizations, and agricultural producers/farmers alike who exemplify the true spirit of environmental stewardship and preservation in the watershed. Self-nominations are accepted.

     Nominee must be living or operating within the city of Delaware limits or the Upper Olentangy River Watershed. This is the area from Delaware City’s boundaries and spans north to Morrow, Marion, Crawford, and a portion of Richland County.

     Please complete the form provided by Friday, April 18, 2025, by 4 p.m. Requests for paper forms, along with any questions, may be emailed to lroberts@delawareohio.net.

     Conservation Award Nomination Form: https://forms.gle/XAJMqcrDtU2GsTSN8

     The awards will be presented during the Olentangy River Festival. Conservation Award recipients will be notified in advance of the award presentation. If a recipient is unable to attend in person and is unable to send a representative, arrangements may be made to deliver the award to the recipient. 

     You can also expect to see the great work of local artists as the Rain Barrel Raffle returns! 

     Rain barrels have become increasingly popular. As a community, we can increase this popularity by making them more visually appealing. Rain barrels provide many stormwater benefits including:
          • Reduction of stormwater runoff
          • A free and sustainable source of water for gardening
          • Reduction of harmful pollutants being carried into our waterways
          • Reduction of ponding and flooding
          • Reduction of water bill costs

     Businesses, organizations, and individuals have the opportunity to sponsor a rain barrel for $30. The sponsorship offsets the cost of the installation kit provided with each rain barrel.

     Rain barrels can be both sponsored and painted by the same entity. The barrels will be raffled off at the River Fest on June 21st at Mingo Park, and proceeds will go to the Olentangy Watershed Alliance (OWA), a non-profit group dedicated to enhancing and preserving the Upper Olentangy River Watershed. Raffle ticket sales will begin at the River Fest at 12 p.m. and end at approximately 3:30 p.m. with the winning tickets to be drawn shortly after.

     Come on out and celebrate Your river!