The annual LA River Race, a celebration of the Androscoggin River and water-based recreation in Lewiston Auburn held in late June each year, has been rescheduled for June 26, 2021.

For the past four years, this summer paddling adventure in downtown LA has been the largest annual event of the  Androscoggin Land Trust. Now, ALT Board President Dana Little and Lewiston Auburn Metro Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Shanna Cox have announced a new partnership in hosting this event that will seek to expand the participation of paddlers and the positive ripple effect on the local economy.

While originally slated for Saturday, June 27, in conjunction with the Great Falls Brewfest, the event was postponed until 2021 because of COVID-19 and the limits to crowds, according to a news release from Meredith Carson, marketing and communications director of the Chamber of Commerce.

“We are honored to be a trusted partner of ALT in the stewardship of this great event. Each year, the LA River Race highlights safe practices for recreational uses of the Androscoggin, and draws people to LA”, said Cox. “We believe by partnering with ALT and working with Adam Platz of Baxter Brewing and the Great Falls Brewfest, there is a great opportunity to highlight LA’s best assets, and provide a weekend-long boost to our local restaurants and hotels. We are excited to see the year-over-year growth of this event and its benefits to LA.”

“We are very happy to partner with the Chamber for this event that offers a unique opportunity to take in the beauty and recreational opportunities of the Androscoggin River and enjoy downtown Lewiston and Auburn,” said Little. “We know partnering with the Chamber will bring event planning capacity and invite innovative ideas while allowing our staff and board to continue to contribute our years of experience planning river-based events and encouraging people to enjoy the adventure and natural features of the River. We see the potential for this event to reach a larger audience and more widely celebrate the Androscoggin River as a significant natural resource asset to LA.”

While the event has been delayed, event planners aren’t waiting until 2021 to get the fun started. There is an event page on Facebook for news and updates to the event itself — and to join a virtual community of paddling and outdoor enthusiasts.

Event planners will be using the social media platform over the next year to build a community around the event and the river — seeking to grow the excitement for the event while encouraging people to get out and play in LA in safe ways.

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