FREEPORT — L.L.Bean will host a full weekend of free activities at the Paddling Center on Casco Bay, just minutes by shuttle from the Freeport store.
The 34th Annual PaddleSports Weekend is slated to be held on Saturday and Sunday, offering participants the opportunity to try dozens of kayaks, canoes and stand-up paddleboards.
Visitors can also speak to experts from brands including Old Town, Wilderness Systems, Bic, Boardworks, and Pau Hana about different styles of boats and boards.
Free shuttles will run all weekend between the Paddling Center and the L.L. Bean Boat, Bike and Ski Store on Main Street in Freeport from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Stand-up paddleboard races take place from 2-4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Snowboarding champion and L.L. Bean testing and design partner Seth Wescott will host Saturday’s race and will be available for autographs afterward.
The Maine Aquarium will bring its traveling touch tub on Saturday, offering kids an up-close and hands-on experience of local marine life. Kid’s crafts will be offered both days from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Local food trucks will offer a variety of refreshments.
L.L. Bean Outdoor Discovery Schools will offer the following free clinics for participants to learn or refresh paddling skills:
— Stand-up paddleboarding clinics every half hour from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
— Kayak clinics every half hour from 11:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
— Free hour-long stand-up paddleboard yoga sessions will be held at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
All activities are free unless otherwise noted. There is a $5 entry fee for the paddleboard races.
Visit www.llbean.com/adventure to reserve a space in a paddleboard race or paddleboard yoga session.
For more information, call 877-755- 2326, or visit www.llbean.com/paddlesports for a full schedule of events.
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