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Russell Marine's AquaPalooza draws
25,000 or more
In what's fast becoming a summer tradition on Lake Martin, once again crowds of boaters descended upon Lake Martin's Kowaliga Bay on Saturday, July 23, for one of the nation's largest AquaPalooza boating festivals. Headlined by Sawyer Brown, the on-water boating bash drew, by initial estimates, 25,000 or more revelers. (Boats are still being counted in aerial photos.)
"We were thrilled to see a bigger crowd than last year," commented Russell Lands vice president and event emcee Roger Holliday. "We are excited that this event has become the party of the summer on Lake Martin."
Presented by Russell Marine and Sea Ray boats, AquaPalooza on Lake Martin featured a concert by music legend Sawyer Brown, as well as artists Rhett Akins, Chase Rice and Derek Welsh and The Cold Hard Truth. When asked if they had done a lake show before, Sawyer Brown's Mark Miller said, "We have done shows close to the water before, but nothing that compares to this. This is awesome!"
AquaPalooza was started by Sea Ray Boats to promote the boating lifestyle. In only its sixth year, the boating bashes take place all over North America and in locations around the world in late July. Prior to the 2009 Signature Event on Lake Martin, which was headlined by Alan Jackson and boasted record attendance, the annual party at Kowaliga was relatively small. But the Signature Event ignited national attention and a hunger amongst its attendees for more of the Lake Martin event. In the two years following the 35,000-in-attendance Signature Event in 2009, the "local" AquaPalooza celebrations have continued to draw tens of thousands to Lake Martin, to what has been described as "the best free boating party in the Southeast, maybe the nation."
"AquaPalooza continues to be an event which encourages people to get in their boats with friends and family, enjoy some good music, possibly make new friends and have a great time," explained Robert Gunn, the event organizer for Russell Marine and Russell Lands On Lake Martin. "AquaPalooza also exposes people across the country to the Lake Martin community who might otherwise not have known about our beautiful corner of the world."
Dave Commander, president of organizing sponsor and host Russell Marine enthusiastically proclaimed, "We have clearly established Lake Martin as the best AquaPalooza in the world! So, get ready and mark your calendar. We're doing it again July 28, 2012!
Didn't get enough? Enjoy more of AquaPalooza!
Explore the photo galleries here >
Missed out on a t-shirt?
A limited number of AquaPalooza t-shirts are still available at Kowaliga Marina for $10.
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