Link River Festival IV slated for June 1

Views of the Klamath River and presentations on Native American history are among the highlights of the Link River Festival, which returns this year on June 1.

KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – The Link River Canyon’s vital role as a recreational hotspot and wildlife haven will be celebrated during Link River Festival IV on June 1.

The free biannual event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with a variety of interpretive booths and cultural activities scattered along the 1.5-mile-long trail.

Link River Festival IV is cosponsored by the Klamath County Museum and the Klamath Greenways Foundation, and is designed to raise public awareness of the scenic canyon located entirely within the city limits of Klamath Falls.

“Too often when we think of getting outdoors, we think of it as something we have to travel some distance to do,” said Alicia Robinson, outreach coordinator for the Klamath County Museum. “We tend to forget the things we can experience right in the middle of town. These are the things that can bring us back to our roots.”

Food vendors will be available along the trail, and a shuttle bus will be available to give rides back to vehicles. A beer garden will be located behind the Favell Museum.

“Thanks to the shuttle service provided by Pelican Charters, people can hike the trail one way, and catch a ride back to the parking lot on a trolley,” Robinson said. “There will be plenty to see, no matter which end they start from.”

The initial Link River Festival was held in 2013, and followed by succeeding events in 2015 and ’17. This year’s festival includes more than 25 stations along the Link River Trail staffed by volunteers from a wide variety of organizations.

A passport booklet will contain trivia questions with answers available at each of the stations. Participants who complete their passports will be eligible to win prizes in a drawing to be held at the end of the festival.

Topics covered at various stations include history, water issues, environmental science, kayaking, art, wildlife and birding, and crafts.

The Klamath Tribes will present information on prehistoric use of the area by Native Americans, and a song and dance group will perform at Putnam Point.

Music will be performed at various stops along the trail.

For more information about the festival, call the Klamath County Museum at (541) 882-1000, or visit faceook.com/linkriver.