Fourth-Annual Nahant Marsh Fall Festival -- October 3.
Saturday, October 3, 2 – 6 p.m.
Nahant Marsh, 4220Wapello Avenue, Davenport IA
A family-friendly celebration designed to support environmental education and conservation in our community, the Fourth-Annual Nahant Marsh Fall Festival will be held at the Davenport preserve on October 3, the day's guests invited to enjoy a crisp autumn day surrounded by nature, fun activities, and great food all while supporting a great cause.
Among the highlights at this year's Nahant Marsh event: a petting zoo; an inflatable obstacle course and bounce house; carnival games; a walking magician, geode cracking; the Full Nelson Food Truck; the Argrow's House Coffee Truck; the Bent River Brewery Beer Trailer; drone exploration with Skyward Enterprises; a bake sale; arts and crafts activities; live music with Barry Cloyd; education presentations; a pie auction; a booze pull; and exclusive event merchandise on sale.
As stated at the preserve's website: "After years of being used as a sportsman’s club, investigations showed that the marsh had high levels of lead. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, River Action, Quad City Audubon Society, and Iowa DNR came together to try to save the marsh and conserve its biotic community. The EPA declared the marsh a Superfund Site and began an extensive cleanup of the lead. After the cleanup, wildlife and plant life showed a vast improvement. So much so, that it was decided to make the wetland a nature preserve and Nahant Marsh Education Center was born.
"The Nahant Marsh preserve is one of the largest urban wetlands on the Upper Mississippi River. It is comprised of marshy areas, mesic, wet and sand prairie, and bottomland forest. A spring-fed quarry, known as Carp Lake, and the surrounding grounds, are part of the Nahant Marsh preserve as well. The 382-acre preserve is owned by the City of Davenport and the Nahant Marsh Board, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Conservation and restoration efforts on the preserve are directed by the Nahant Board. The educational programming is overseen by Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC).
"Volunteers are vital to the ecological integrity of Nahant Marsh, and help is always needed. Volunteer opportunities include helping out with education programs and special events, assisting the natural resources team, and more"
The Fourth-Annual Nahant Marsh Fall Festival will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. on October 3, admission is free (though some activities may have a suggested donation or ticket cost), and more information on the afternoon is available by calling (563)888-3169 and visiting NahantMarsh.org.
