For the first time since the 1996 Olympics, the Chattahoochee Valley will be hosting a parade of athletes bearing national flags to officially open the Freestyle Kayak Championships.  The event will be at the Phenix City Amphitheater on Saturday, October 7^th.  The opening ceremony event is free to the public, with doors open at 6:30pm. 

“We are thrilled to see the pageantry of an athlete parade along with team members carrying a flag from the nation they are representing,” said Ed Wolverton, President of Uptown Columbus Inc., and the Host Organizing Committee.  “Seeing this type of ceremony at an international sporting event is a once in a lifetime opportunity for many people and I encourage everyone to come to this free event,” he said.  

In addition to the parade of athletes, Phenix City Mayor Eddie Lowe and Columbus Mayor Skip Henderson will welcome the athletes, coaches, and international officials.  The Vice President of the International Canoe Federation, Mr. Lluis Rabaneda Caselles will make additional comments and then officially open the competition.  Mr. Caselles is travelling here from Madrid, Spain. 

After the welcoming ceremonies, the fun will begin.  A free concert featuring Neil Lucus will start immediately after the parade and introductions.  Lloyd Buchanan and the Cube Roots will headline the concert and wrap up the music for the evening.  Food and beverages will be available at the amphitheater for purchase.

The 2023 World Freestyle Kayak Championships are free to attend.  The competitions start Monday, October 9, as squirt boaters will jump in the water at 10am.  The session will be along the Phenix City Riverwalk, at the base of Cutbait rapids. The action moves to Waveshaper Island from Tuesday through Saturday. 

The marquee event of the competition is the Men’s and Women’s Kayak finals, and they will start Saturday at 11:45am.  Competition dates and times for all events are available at World Championships Schedule.

Food and beverages will be available to purchase at all venues. Limited seating will also be available for the free events.

 In addition to the athlete competition, organizers will open a Vendors Village on Saturday and Sunday.  Food trucks along with arts and crafts will be offered for sale along Bay Avenue from 12^th Street to 11^th Street (next to the water tower).  The Vendor Village is also free and open to the public. 

The capstone of the competition will be the Rushsouth Music Festival and Outdoor Games.  This inaugural event will feature 13 bands on two stages with genres ranging from rock, folk, country, and Americana.  Dawes will headline the Saturday night show, with the Grammy-award winning band Gov’t Mule closing-out the festival on Sunday.  To see the full line-up and purchase one-day or two-day tickets, visit  www.rushsouthfest.com

 “We have put together an amazing ten days that exceeds or matches anything you could find in Atlanta, Nashville, Memphis, or other major metropolitan city in the United States,” said Uptown President Ed Wolverton. “I am hopeful that the community will turn out to support the World Championships and music festival so we can continue to bring these types of world-class events for our region,” he said.