LAKE STEVENS — Dawn Mosteller is used to being a coach.
The gymnastic teacher became a student for an hour Friday as she tried rowing in an eight-person shell at Aquafest, the annual community celebration.
When she placed her feet on dry land again, a Lake Stevens Rowing Club volunteer asked her how the lesson went.
“That was fun,” Mosteller said. “I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
Mosteller lives on Lake Goodwin and said she’s wanted to give rowing a try. She and her daughter, Brianna Greene, both went rowing for the first time and agreed that the activity was both a workout and a challenge.
The rowing club has offered opportunities for people to try rowing for free for the past three Aquafests, said Dave Schultz, event chairman. The festival has helped the club’s membership grow to 70 members, he said. It’s also a fun time to introduce people to the sport.
“It’s not all about competition,” he said. “Most of our pre-registration is filled up but we’ve left additional spots for walk-ins.”
While some tried rowing on Lake Stevens, crowds of people walked Main Street, stopping at vendor and food booths Friday during the 51st Aquafest celebration.
Cheryl Angeles and her son, Luke, 6, came for the first time. They cooled off with cups of shaved ice after visiting the carnival.
“Earlier I had fried mushrooms and corn on the cob,” said Angeles, a Lake Stevens resident.
The tempting smell of festival food drifted over to where Barbara VanBuskirk was sitting outside of the Lake Stevens Library. VanBuskirk, a volunteer at the Friends of the Library Book Sale, arrived early for her shift at the book sale so she could walk around the festival.
“It’s very family oriented. It’s not so huge that people can’t see it all,” she said.
Sandra Rindero appreciated the good weather during the festival’s opening day. Rindero, owner of PupCakes, a business that makes gourmet dog treats, was enjoying her first experience as an Aquafest vendor.
“I’m just looking forward to seeing a lot of the people that we met at the Farmers Market last year,” she said. “This is an opportunity to reconnect. I’m seeing a lot of people with their dogs.”
The first day of the annual three-day celebration included a children’s parade and a pet show. On the schedule for today are sports tournaments, a grand parade down Main Street at 1 p.m., a boat parade at 6:45 p.m. off the Wyatt Park/Davies Beach Public Dock and a fireworks display that can be viewed from North Cove Park.
Sunday’s events include a classic car show scheduled from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at North Lake Middle School and a Family Funfest from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in North Cove Park. A complete schedule of events is available at www.aquafest.org.
Amy Daybert, 425-339-3491; adaybert@heraldnet.com
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