Drought won't dampen 3RF RiverGames events

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Festival road closures

The following roads will be closed because of Fort Wayne Newspapers Three Rivers Festival events:
Today
•East Main Street, from South Clinton to Lafayette Street, will be closed from 6 p.m. today through 11 p.m. Sunday, along with Barr Street from East Main Street to East Berry Street
•Left curb lane of South Clinton Street by Headwaters Park from the Clinton Street Bridge to Superior Street will be closed from 7 p.m. today through July 21 at 11 p.m.
Saturday
•East Main Street from South Clinton to Lafayette Street will be closed through 11 p.m. Sunday, along with Barr Street from East Main Street to East Berry Street
•The left curb lane of South Clinton Street by Headwaters Park from the Clinton Street Bridge to Superior Street will be closed through July 21 at 11 p.m.
The following streets will be closed from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday for the Lutheran Health Network parade:
West Wayne Street from Thieme Drive to Broadway
West Main Street from Runnion Avenue to South Clinton Street
Van Buren Street from West Superior Street to West Main Street
Fairfield Avenue from West Superior Street to West Wayne Street
Ewing Street from West Wayne Street to West Main Street
South Harrison Street from West Wayne Street to West Main Street
South Calhoun Street from West Wayne Street to West Superior Street
West Berry Street from South Clinton Street to Fairfield Avenue
East Main Street from Lafayette Street to South Clinton Street
West Superior Street from South Clinton Street to South Harrison Street
Barr Street from East Main Street to East Berry Street

Despite the drought that has left plants scorched and river levels low, the RiverGames portion of the Fort Wayne Newspapers Three Rivers Festival will not be affected, festival Executive Director Jack Hammer said.

Two dams have been raised, keeping the levels of the St. Marys River constant, Hammer said, and according to the National Weather Service, current river levels are about 7 feet, average for the summer months.

The July 21 RiverGames consist of three events:

•The Great River Race (1 to 2 p.m.) amounts to a giant canoe and kayak race, Hammer said, whether for families on a leisurely boat ride or competitors speeding down the St. Marys.

•The Water Balloon Wars (2 to 5 p.m.) feature three-man water balloon slingshots on two 25-foot pontoons anchored in the river.

•The Summit City Soaker (2 to 5 p.m.) is a canoeing sprint race from the Wells Street Bridge to the Harrison Street Bridge. Participants will then throw a water balloon into a hula hoop and sprint back, Hammer said.

The RiverGames are $10 a person per game, and Hammer said he hopes they encourage people to get into a canoe or kayak for the first time.

"I invite people to do that because you're going to see parts of Fort Wayne you've never seen before," he said. "You're going to see some very interesting sites, some different views you don't see every day."

According to the National Weather Service, temperatures throughout the festival are forecast to be in the mid- to high-80s, not the upper 90s and 100-plus temperatures Fort Wayne has experienced the past two weeks, Hammer points out.

The festival is still planning for heat. Headwaters Park will have misters throughout, and there will be live music under the Headwaters pavilion from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, giving shade to those enjoying lunch from Junk Food Alley.

jyouhana@jg.net