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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Backcountry group to stump for wild steelhead sanctuary ... Recharged Lost Creek, Applegate reservoirs mean plenty of water for boating and fish ... Boyfriend gets jail, probation in child-scalding case ... Backcountry group to stump for wild steelhead sanctuary ... Recharged Lost Creek, Applegate reservoirs mean plenty of water for boating and fish ... Boyfriend gets jail, probation in child-scalding case ... FESTIVAL Boatnik is set to rev up on Thursday Comment By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted May. 24, 2016 at 7:16 PM By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted May. 24, 2016 at 7:16 PM » Social News GRANTS PASS — It's the Climate. It's the Cavemen. It's the Boatnik. (Answer: What is Grants Pass most known for, Alex). The 58th annual Boatnik kicks off Thursday with the usual lineup of fun in the sun along the Rogue River centered at Riverside Park. It continues through Memorial Day. It's touted by the Active Club as Oregon's second-largest summer festival, after the Rose Festival in Portland. The Active Club has raised $250,000 in the previous three years of Boatnik, all of which is donated to children's programs, including scholarships. The beneficiaries are too numerous to list, but include 4-H, the Boys & Girls Club and school programs. "We've got over 108 sponsors again this year, and any time we're over 100 that's good," said Active Club President Charlie Waddington. The club helps children and families during holidays, with toys and clothing, and often "adopts" an ailing child. This year's adopted daughter is Colbie Wakefield, who will be grand marshal in Saturday's parade. She's a Highland Elementary kindergartner battling a kidney disorder. "It's all about the kids," Waddington added, which is the theme of this year's event. "It's just a huge deal for the community." The action starts with the Davis Shows carnival beginning at 1 p.m. Thursday, with family day discount of $2 per ride. Pre-carnival arm bands are $25 at Umpqua Bank branches and both Lil' Pantries in town. They'll be $30 at the park. Another F-15 fighter flyover from Kingsley Field in Klamath Falls is planned for Memorial Day. An F-15 will fly over Grants Pass, twice, to commemorate a service at Hillcrest Memorial Park that starts at 11, and for a ceremony at noon at Riverside Park, part of Boatnik. The Active Club has asked World War II veteran Bob Hamilton to lay the wreath at Monday's ceremony at Boatnik along the banks of the Rogue River. In other highlights, for only the second time in 20 years the once-traditional long course will be used for Monday's Tom Rice Memorial Hydroplane Race. Waddington said the long race, from Grants Pass to Carpenter's Island 25 miles downstream and back, could be used every few years. The course for most of the last 20 years ended at Robertson Bridge, about halfway to Carpenter's Island. Warmups start at 11 a.m., with the race beginning at 1. Besides the hydroplanes on Monday, the Boatnik will feature the more powerful sprint and drag boats in front of the park, with the drags coming out Friday night prior to the fireworks show at the Seventh Street Bridge. The drag boats and sprint boats will also perform on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. The parade dominates downtown from 10 a.m. to about noon on Saturday, with the 5-kilometer Freedom Run starting about a half-hour before the parade on Sixth Street. And for the fifth year, the Boatnik Brewfest takes place Saturday and Sunday afternoons, Fastpitch softball also takes place during the weekend at Morrison Centennial Park on Rogue River Highway. By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier MailTribune.com By Jeff Duewel Grants Pass Daily Courier Posted May. 24, 2016 at 7:16 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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