SOAP LAKE – The waters of Soap Lake lit up Saturday night, with kayaks, canoes and paddleboards all decked out for the Moonlight Paddle.
The event hosted races as well as the Moonlight Paddle Parade, where participants of all ages took their boats to Soap Lake after sunset.
“We’re excited about it,” Soap Lake Chamber of Commerce President Cindi Rang said of the turnout. “We know that the lake attracts people from all over. We know this because when we are at the lake we hear people speaking Dutch, German and French.”
The event drew locals from Soap Lake and Basin alike, as well as some paddlers from Spokane and as far away as Colorado.
“We had people from as far away as Colorado, Kirkland, Spokane and a few locals,” Rang said.
Registration and activities opened at 3:00 p.m., with the races following shortly after at 4:00 p.m. Races were held with two runners at a time, with prizes awarded to the winners.
“Our grand prize winner was a stand up paddle surfer from Colorado,” said Rang, “who completed the course in 1 minute and 58 seconds. Our top four winners won $100 gift certificates from ‘local companies’.
Rang said most runners came out to have fun, with the added incentive of possibly winning a prize. This was true for Othello’s Dannielle Walraf.
“It looked like fun, something different,” Walraf said.
Walraf said she placed third in the races, which earned her a gift certificate for a massage with My Feel Good Way in Soap Lake.
“It was fun, so the first race I ran my daughter,” Walraf said. “I didn’t know there was a second race, so they called us, I was going up in a kayak and I raced with another person and they beat me. But still, overall, I think I came in third.”
Along with the races and the Moonlight Paddle, activities such as bounce houses and a beer garden were made available to attendees. The smell of grilled hamburgers and the sound of music were ever-present throughout the day on Saturday.
“As the race went on (the bounce houses) were full,” Rang said. “It used to be very popular.”
Money raised from the brewery and food sales will go toward signage, Rang said.
“We have some plans for a new billboard that we need to put up and new signage in the park, so we’re raising money for that.”
Later in the day, Dusty Koh gave a drumming performance, at the Drum your Prayers circle. Shortly after the performance, the judging of the decorated boats began.
“It’s a very important thing,” said Rang of the attendees who decorated their boats. “People look forward to this.”
Once the sun began to set, attendees took to the water in their decorated boats, which had various means of standing out on the water during the night.
“We have a lot of glow-in-the-dark poles and battery-operated lights,” Walraf said of how he planned to decorate his kayak. “She’s got some butterflies and some stars that we’re going to stick on.”
The paddle was led by a motor boat and extended across Soap Lake before ending just before 10pm.
“We like the fact that we can have something where families can come and the costs aren’t high,” Debra Gravelle said. “We want that community here, we want people to come to the park and just be with their friends and family.”
Ian Bivona can be reached at ibivona@columbiabasinherald.com.
