Welcome to FloatFest 2025!
A floating, travelling music festival on the banks of the Goshen Millrace!
What is Float Fest? With over 15 musical acts in 8 unique locations - Float Fest is an evolving, moving music festival! Float in a canoe or kayak, or walk along the millrace path and catch the vibe! Pack in everything you’ll need for the day (including lights to set the mood and lights to help you return to your car!). In terms of music, you can expect to bop to anything from cafe-style songwriters to harp-based rap music, from indie to acid jazz and a little bit of shoegaze thrown in for good measure! Read the Information section below to discover where to park, where to walk to, and how to take in this festival! Questions we haven’t covered? Find us on Facebook or Insta via links on this page and contact us!
​
Beyond just the festival day, Float Fest is an entire week of celebration! We've got events from Monday-Sunday, so don't miss it! Check the image below to see the Lineup and the Lineup of daily events!
Schedule!
Stop 1 is all the way up by the top of the race near the gates - at the Shoup-Parsons Woods Park. Please park in Shanklin Park and paddle/walk upstream until you find the crowd! The festival will gradually progress downstream Closer to Shanklin and Reith, where parking is, eventually passing it for the final stage of the evening - the floating stage near the Hawk's Building!!
Need a boat?!?!
Never fear, we got you!
We are proud to announce we are teaming up with Raw Outdoors this year to provide canoe, kayak and tube (just find someone to pull you!) rentals!!!!!! These guys will be at Reith Interpretive Center from 1:30 on, Saturday, June 28! I guarantee these will go quick and all rentals last year sold out within minutes of the fest starting so call them at 574 509 8768 to reserve your boat ASAP! (If you don’t get a person in the phone leave a message with your contact). Rates are $35/tube, $45/kayak, and $55/canoe for the entire fest!
Where to Go?!?!?
Need to know where to go? Try our handy MAP! New to the area or having trouble visualizing? Our greeters will help you find your way! !!!
​
​
.png)
Alright, it's the post a lot of you have been waiting for! We have food for you all this year and here's the MOST IMPORTANT detail you need to know! THEY ARE OPEN FOR LUNCH for you all before the fest. They will serve for you starting at 1:30 and will stay open till the fest moves on past them at 9. So make sure you're heading to the top around 1:30 and wait to eat lunch and then plan one differ at the fest as well!!!! If you're heading up to meet the festival later on in the day, please consider stopping by and grabbing food from them as well. We are so excited to have Fisher's BBQ, Loupa's Caribbean Chicken, Tacos 9 Juan Juan and Donut NV with us this year! Please make sure to plan to buy from them so that we can continue to provide food for you each year! Food Vendors will be in Millrace Park (Reith Interpretive Center).
Edited · 22m
And don't think we didn't consider your beverage needs! As well as the beverages from the food trucks, we know you need your caffeine and we know many of you enjoy drinks on the alternative side. Please make sure you visit Travelin' Tom's and FunktioN/AL for your beverage needs from 1:30pm on at Float Fest! (FunktioN/AL will need to leave a bit early so make sure you fill up your cooler on your way to the top of the fest with NA goodies, including mocktails, NA beers, adaptogenic drinks, kava, delta and more!)
Important Information - FAQ
Float Fest is on June 28, 2025 from 2:30pm to 10:30pm. Park in designated areas (see other FAQ) and paddle to the top of the millrace, following the signs. Live music starts at 2:30 with Bloomington Poet Alex Swartzentruber reciting his works from a boat then will commence progressing down the millrace with City Sun kicking off at Stop 1 just after 3!
Put in and take out are at the same location! Park at either Reith Interpretive Center or Shanklin Park and follow signs to launch your boat. Once you’ve launched your boat, paddle upstream and follow signs to the start of the millrace! The festival will float from house to house and you will end just downstream of where you put in! Make sure you bring lights to help you find your way back at the end!!!
It is very important to the founders of Float Fest that we keep this event open and free, but we definitey need support to keep this festival running! Suggested donation is $25. Donations taken electronically by Venmo and Cashapp. Right now we are also taking donations via our Gofundme. Please consider donating by visiting https://www.gofundme.com/f/keep-float-fest-afloat-donate-now
No boat, No problem!!
Option 1: There is a walking path that follows the whole event! Park at Reith Interpretive Center or Shanklin Park and walk the path South to the beginning of the race! Hundreds of people select this option. Great for families who can’t stay the whole festival!
Option 2: Rent a Boat! We are proud to announce we are teaming up with Raw Outdoors this year to provide canoe, kayak and tube rentals!!!!!! These guys will be at Reith Interpretive Center from 1:30 on, Saturday August 10! I guarantee these will go quick and all rentals last year sold out within minutes of the fest starting so call them at 574 509 8768 to reserve your boat ASAP! (If you don’t get a person in the phone leave a message with your contact). Rates are $35/tube, $45/kayak, and $55/canoe for the entire fest!
​​​​