Don’t Miss Festival In Motion–Bring The Family

Festival in Motion invites area families to a fun day of discovery along the Walnut Creek Greenway. This free family event for all ages will take place rain or shine Saturday, Sept. 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

All of Raleigh is invited to get outdoors and get moving as they explore Walnut Creek’s natural bounty. Festival in Motion features games, live music, fitness challenges, art crafting and food. Activities take place at the Walnut Creek Wetland Center at 950 Peterson Street.

Festival in Motion was launched to build awareness and stewardship for Walnut Creek from Lake Johnson to the Neuse River. The activities of the festival are designed to impart an appreciation of Walnut Creek’s water, contributing streams, wetlands and adjacent neighborhoods and institutions have made to Raleigh’s history. The festival organizers also hope the activities will introduce uninitiated Raleigh residents to the access to nature that the Capital Area Greenway Trail System offers.

“The Festival in Motion was created by local residents to encourage area families to take advantage of the natural beauty of our wetlands and greenway system,” said co-founder Anne Franklin. “When we come together to enjoy the natural surroundings and cultural offerings of our city, we build deeper connections with our community.”

What All Is Going On

During these four hours on September 27, Festival in Motion participants can learn that wetlands teem with life and that our City’s greenways are designed to connect us street-side to stream-side. They can loop a one-half mile path of tented activity stations. They can cheer teen volunteers as they wrangle huge invasive shrubs in the Fourth Annual Privet Power Pull.

Participants will be invited to tune their ears to the sounds of the wild and try to reproduce them. They will be offered the chance to craft a fanciful mask that brings a wetland creature to life. Festival goers will walk the walk and touch the tracts that animals make. They can test their mettle in the stationary bicycle “Champ vs. Chump Challenge.” They can feel the rhythm of Mexican folkloric dances and relax among the trees to the sounds of flutes and jazz.

Festival in Motion is produced by its founding partners: the Triangle Greenways Council; Friends of Lake Johnson; Partners for Environmental Justice; and, the City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Department. The festival is supported by corporate and individual sponsors and benefits from the help of scores of volunteers.