For Immediate Release: October 1, 2008 Riverkeeper’s 3rd Annual New York Water Fest A Bottled Water Free Event Celebrating New York City’s Water Resources (Tarrytown, NY) Riverkeeper’s 3rd Annual New York Water Fest will be held on Sunday, October 12 at the North Cove Marina in Battery Park City, and in the Hudson River along the west side of Manhattan. Water Fest, a day devoted to celebrating New York City water " the water we drink, the water we play in, and the water that surrounds us " will be a bottled water free event. Join Riverkeeper, New York’s number one water protector, for a day of fun on the Hudson with paddling activities, live music featuring Sgt Dunbar and the Hobo Banned and Wall Street, great food and more. Why a bottled water free event? Because tap water is safer and cheaper than bottled water ' bottled water is less strictly regulated than municipal tap water and can cost thousands of times more than tap water. Because tap water has a far smaller carbon footprint than bottled water ' billions of barrels of oil are used in the production, transportation and storage of plastic bottles in the US each year. And because choosing tap water reduces the plastic in our landfills and waterways " 86% of empty plastic water bottles end up in our landfills. Come to Water Fest to learn about Riverkeeper’s Take Back the Tap New York campaign to promote NYC’s premier tap water over bottled water. Take the NYC Tap Water Blind Taste Test and discover how New York City’s tap water stacks up against leading bottled water brands. Bring your own water bottles to Water Fest and fill up for free with New York City’s premier drinking water or buy one of Riverkeeper’s new Take Back the Tap New York water bottles to fill. Water City at North Cove Marina in Battery Park City will host live music, gourmet food, wellness and relaxation tents, the NYC Tap Water Challenge, and leading clean water advocates ready to answer your water questions. Open 12-5pm. The Paddle Rally is a full day of on-water activities for first-time, beginner and advanced paddlers: Big Apple Splash: A 5-mile raft flotilla from Pier 96 to Water City at North Cove Marina. Kayak Poker Run: Paddlers play Five Card Draw to win as part of this paddle rally that travels to five different locations on the Hudson River to pick up cards. Floating Meditation: A two-hour program combining world-class paddling instruction with guided meditation. Walk-Up Kayaking: A free 20-minute sit-on-top kayaking program, provided by the Downtown Boathouse, at its Pier 40 or Pier 96 locations. Beginner kayak lessons will also be available throughout the day. For more information or to register, please visit www.nywaterfest.org. And for more information on Riverkeeper and NYC water, visit www.riverkeeper.org