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The 11th Annual French Broad River Festival, a benefit for American Whitewater, will take place on May 2-4, 2008 in beautiful Hot Springs, North Carolina, just 45 minutes north of Asheville, at the Hot Springs Campground and Spa. Come spend the weekend with family and friends listening to the sounds of Acoustic Syndicate, Blueground Undergrass, Larry Keel and Natural Bridge, Big City Sunrise, Snake Oil Medicine Show, Sol Driven Train, Mad Tea Party, Strut, Jen and the Juice, Jesse James and the Junkman's Daughter, Suttree, and other great regional and national recording artists to be announced. This year, Snake Oil Medicine show, with special guest Jeff Mosier of Blueground Undergrass, will host a totally unplugged late night acoustic jam on Friday night. On Saturday night, Blueground Undergrass will host, along with lots of special guests, our late night acoustc jam. These are sure to be some of the most intimate opportunities to see these folks in the purest of forms. These will be truly memorable performances.

Also, enjoy shopping for new outdoor gear, art, and other fun stuff at the Silent Auction or with one of our many vendors. Participating in either the Paddle with the Pros, the 4th Annual FBRF Mountain Bike Race, or the 11th Annual French Broad River Raft Race are great ways to spend the weekend between all the great music.

Phil Cheney will also host "The Dynamic Art Gallery"(DAG) for it's second year at the fest. Last year, many talented artisans and musicians graced the DAG with their presence. This year should be no different! Join Phil, Bob Seven, George Pond and many other folks at the Dynamic Art Gallery...trust us, you won't regret it!

Britny Davis returns to lead folks in Yoga each morning. Unifire brings the magic of fire to life for a special late night show. For the kids, we have the Families Together Kid's Village, which will include the FBRF Kid's Parade. Becky the Balloon Lady will be turning balloons in conjunction with face painting, crafts, magic, clowns, and other fun activities. Come hang out with us! We can't wait to see you!

Paddle with the Pro's
This year FBRF will offer the chance for 8 people to paddle with trained, professional kayak instructors from Green River Adventures on Saturday, May 3. Registration will be at 5:00 pm Friday May 4, 2007 at the Green River Adventures Booth at the fest. This is a great chance to hop in your kayak and hone the skills needed to paddle safely. This is free to the first 8 people to register. You can also sign up now by going to www.greenriveradventures.com and dropping Sara or Dax an email letting them know you are interested. Don’t miss this great opportunity.

Space is limited so sign up early!

Sunday, May 4 offers a chance to paddle with canoe paddling legend, 3x World Champion Open Canoeist, Eli Helbert. He will be leading a canoe clinic in collaboration with Esquif canoes for folks that have their own boat and gear. This will be great for boaters of all skill levels. Sign up for Paddle with the Pros at the festival at the Festival information booth on Friday afternoon or evening. Space will be limited, so get there early!

River Clean Up ~~~
Each May lovers of rivers and music gather on the banks of the French Broad River to celebrate the mountain lifestyle at the French Broad River Festival. The festival gives back to the community by raising funds for the river stewardship work of American Whitewater and various local charities. At the 2008 French Broad Festival American Whitewater is partnering with Riverlink, an organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the French Broad River, to encourage river stewardship in paddlers by organizing a river cleanup on the French Broad River.

The river cleanup will be hosted by the Nantahala Outdoor Center, national partner of American Whitewater on Friday, May 2, 2008. Anyone interested in participating in the cleanup should email Ben VanCamp (ben@americanwhitewater.org) prior to April 29, 2008 so that lunch and shuttle arrangements can be prepared.

Participants in the cleanup will be meeting at NOC’s French Broad outpost (www.noc.com/Rafting/FrenchBroad/Directions) on Friday morning at 9:00. NOC will be providing free shuttle service and lunch for those attending the river cleanup. Paddlers should bring their own paddling equipment including boats and should be comfortable paddling Class III – IV whitewater. For more information on the section of the river check out the French Broad Section 9 page on the American Whitewater website. (www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River_detail_id_1074_)

The world's third oldest river, the French Broad flows through scenic Pisgah National Forest in the mountains of North Carolina. This free-flowing river is ideal for families and young teens, with moderate Class II and III rapids. Due to its close proximity to Asheville and its suburbs the French Broad River receives a lot of use and abuse. The river cleanup will provide paddlers with an opportunity to improve the quality of the river while enjoy all it has to offer. The river cleanup should last several hours and a small reception will be hosted at NOC for the participants in the afternoon

If you are coming from Tennessee, take 25/70 S to Hot Springs and the campground is before the French Broad River on the right.

If you don't have your own boat, but would like to be in the raft race, a limited number (300) of tickets are available for $99 after 4/20/08 or $90 prior to 4/20/08. These include a spot in a raft for the raft race with a guide plus everything the $55 ticket offers.

You won't find a deal like this at any other festival!  
Check it out!   We'll see you there. 

Camping INFO.
General adminission to the festival includes camping in ALL non-riverside campsites.  Riverside campsites or RV sites are not included with festival admission. They are by reservation only starting 2/15/08.  If interested in reserving a riverside campsite, please contact Matt Kern at Cazkern@aol.com. They go fast!

**CAMP SITE MAP**

WHEN TO ARRIVE
The festival gates will open at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, May 2, 2008.

If I am staying off site, can I leave and come back?
Yes, as long as you have a festival wristband, you may come and go as you like.

WHAT TO BRING
In packing for your stay at FBRF, bring raingear, warm clothes, and an extra pair of shoes or sneakers in case it rains. We also recommend bug spray, a blanket for seating, sunscreen, hat for shade, a plastic container (or two!) for water, plastic bags for trash, extra toilet paper (just in case), a lantern or a flashlight with extra batteries, a camera, and prepare to have a great weekend!

WHAT NOT TO BRING
•No Dogs
•No Weapons of any kind
•No Fireworks
•No Illegal substances
•No Unauthorized Vending will be allowed
•No Glass Containers in concert areas

Just bring a good attitude and plan to have an awesome weekend of music and fun.

WHAT WILL BE PROVIDED
Potable water, Medical assistance, Security, Wash stations, Portable toilets with toilet paper will all be provided. We will have hot showers available to our patrons, so please plan accordingly. We have power and water hookups for RV's but you must reserve them from the French Broad River Festival. Thank you for planning accordingly. For information on camping reservations email CazKern@aol.com .

Food will be sold by Barely Edible, Ed Boudreaux's Bayou Barbecue, and Tipping Cows. Vendors will also be selling a variety of reasonably priced foods,beverages and snacks.

VENDING
Arrangements for vending must be made in advance of the festival. No unauthorized vending allowed in the festival area or the campground. Offenders will be escorted from the park with NO REFUNDS!

DOWNLOAD THE VENDOR FORM

For information regarding vending, please email whitewaterbubba@gmail.com.

SECURITY & SAFETY
We cherish your safety and well being at the French Broad River Festival. PLEASE do not drink and drive. If you need assistance at any time while at the Fest, please speak with a French Broad River Festival staff member or volunteer.

All vehicles are subject to search.

If you have an emergency, please find someone in an orange shirt, security personnel, or go to the festival registration.

DOG POLICY
No Dogs Allowed. We love dogs. The central issue is simply one of safety -- for the dogs and for the people. No dogs are allowed either in the campground or the festival areas. The only exceptions are for verifiable handicap-access canines or park residents.

Please keep the campground clean. Our gracious hosts have opened up their private property to allow us to come together. Cigarette butts are NOT biodegradable and are picked up one by one after the festival. Please help secure this beautiful venue and keep YOUR ticket price down by cleaning up after yourself. Thank you.

NO ILLEGAL DRUGS
Refrain from buying from unauthorized vendors
The sale of alcohol is prohibited
Didn't find the answer to your question?
Contact us and let us know how we can help.

Thanks,