Join us on the Deerfield River, August 1st, 2026, to celebrate more than 30 years of whitewater boating on the river where many of us learned to boat. A special place where we meet up with friends and bring our families to enjoy the scenic waters in Western Massachusetts. The festival will be held at Berkshire East in Charlemont, MA, from 5:30 to 10 pm. We’re still looking for volunteers to help make this event a success. Sign up today for guaranteed* good river karma!
Each year, tens of thousands of boaters have spent the summer enjoying the rapids, scenery, and wildlife along the river. The Deerfield has spawned an outdoor recreation economy in the region, including Zoar Outdoor, Crab Apple Whitewater, and Berkshire Whitewater, as well as supporting restaurants and campgrounds and drawing outdoor enthusiasts from New York to Maine.
2026 marks the start of a new era on the Deerfield River. Our work to secure recreational releases for the next 40 years is a gift to the next generation of boaters who will enjoy kayaking, canoeing, tubing, and rafting the Fife Brook. FERC issued a new license this year for the Bear Swamp Hydroelectric project, requiring Brookfield Renewable to continue providing the 106 annual scheduled boating releases that for the past three decades have been the centerpiece of the river recreation community in the Northeast.
Since the 1990s, boaters and friends have gathered after a day of summer river running for Deerfield Fest to enjoy music, food, and drink; to check out the paddlesports and other vendors; and to bid on the latest gear at the Silent Auction, all to support American Whitewater’s river stewardship in the Northeast.
The new license will provide a more predictable start time between 11 am and noon and will improve recreational access and facilities at the Fife put-in and Zoar picnic area take-out. Additionally, Brookfield will be required to create a new Dryway takeout below the Showtime rapid and limit its pumped storage operations at Bear Swamp on Dryway release days to minimize the effect operations can have that sometimes inundate Labyrinth and Showtime rapids. The license also protects trout fishing opportunities on the river through winter flow requirements.
The establishment, protection, and improvement of whitewater boating opportunities on the Deerfield are the result of forty years of effort by American Whitewater, Appalachian Mountain Club, and New England FLOW, including the current dam relicensing that began in 2015. Please join us on August 1st to celebrate the Deerfield! If you can’t make it, you can still support this work by joining or renewing your membership today.