North America's largest salamander will be the star attraction at the Kentucky Riverkeeper's inaugural Hellbender Festival, beginning this Saturday, September 5 and running through September 12.

The festival combines education, recreation, art, music, and hands-on experiences to engage residents of all ages in learning about the importance of protecting Kentucky's rivers and streams, according to Riverkeeper media advisory.

“The hellbender is a salamander that needs clean water, and we just thought that would be a really great image and idea to kind of rally around,” Kentucky Riverkeeper Executive Director and Berea resident, Pat Banks, told The Edge in an interview.

Banks said that after years of working on environmental issues and looking for new ways to connect people with the Kentucky River, having a multi-activity festival made sense. “It just seems like a natural extension to use all of the senses to explore the watershed and get people to think about the river in a lot of different ways,” she said.

Hellbenders in decline

Once abundant in Kentucky waterways, the harmless but spooky-looking Eastern hellbender is in steep decline. In December 2024, the US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed that the hellbender be listed as a federally endangered species throughout its range.

Found mainly in Appalachia, the hellbender eats mostly crayfish and can weigh as much as five pounds or more. They have been known to reach more than two feet in length, about twice the size of their salamander cousin, the mudpuppy. Hellbenders are nonaggressive, nonpoisonous, nocturnal, and a key indicator of the health of a freshwater stream.

"Because they breathe through their skin, hellbenders are extremely sensitive to reduced water quality and flow, sedimentation, and other degraded habitat conditions," according to Kentucky Fisheries and Wildlife Resources website. "Dam construction, sand and gravel mining, water pollution, fungal and bacterial diseases, and illegal collection for the pet trade appear to be contributing factors to their decline.​"

Banks said she hopes the Hellbender Festival will become an annual event, offering a holistic view of the health not just of the Kentucky River, but the environment around it. “With some of our workshops, we’ll be talking about invasive species. We’ve got a beekeeping demonstration to talk about the importance of our bees. We have a habitat assessment that’s tied in with Kentucky River Watershed Watch,” she said. 

Hikes, floats, music, and more

The festival will begin this Saturday with a river bank cleanup and Family Fun Paddle at Fort Boonesborough State Park from 10 am to 2 pm. Kayaks and canoes will be available on a first come, first served basis.

Later that evening, Movie by the River Night will be held from 5 pm to 8 pm at the Old Rock Barn at the Kentucky River Field School with pizza and a showing of the film, Time on the River. Kathryn Engle, PhD, with the University of Kentucky Appalachian Center and Nyoka Hawkins will provide an introduction to the film.

On Sunday, September 6, a nature walk and hike will be held from 10 am to noon at Lower Howard’s Creek in Clark County. An emergency preparedness presentation will follow from noon to 1 pm at Waterfront Grille.

The main closing event will take place Saturday, September 12, at Kelley’s Landing in Lexington with a four-mile canoe, kayak and stand-up paddleboard race, Family Fun Paddle, and cleanup.

Race participants must check in beginning at 9 am and attend a safety workshop at 9:30 am before the race begins at 10 am. The race is expected to end around noon, followed by the Family Fun Paddle from noon to 3 pm. Calamity Jane will perform at Proud Mary on the Lexington side of the Clay's Ferry Bridge from 6 pm to 10 pm.

A bonus Hellbender Float hosted by the Boonesborough Boat Club will be held from 1 pm to 4 pm Sunday, September 13. Participants will paddle past limestone caves and palisades. Participants with boats not already in the water should launch at the Boonesborough boat ramp and meet at Three Trees by 1 pm. Registration is not required.

T-shirts will be available while supplies last for people participating in paddle cleanups, along with music, vendors, food trucks, and educational activities throughout the week.

To learn more and to register for any or all events, visit the Riverkeeper website or see this form. All events are free and open to the public except for the September 12 river race.

Whitney McKnight contributed to this article.