The 4th annual Butts In Boats Festival is back and ready to hit the river.
Over the last few years, there has been a growing interest and a bit of a spotlight on paddling on Cape Breton Island. From this stemmed the idea of creating an annual event to bring everyone interested in paddling, no matter the discipline, together to network and paddle.
2023 marked the first year of the BIB Festival, with over 40 paddlers in attendance, and it has grown from there! This event is about sharing skills and information, river paddling sessions, social BBQ, and more.
If you’re wondering what to expect out of the weekend, here are some of the highlights:
2 Full-Days Paddling
Breakfast (Sat & Sun)
Lunch to go (Saturday)
Dinner (Saturday)
Gear giveaways and prizes
Social Event Saturday, June 6th
A great friggin’ time!
Paddlers are encouraged to bring whatever craft they would like to use for the weekend. All are welcome! We hope this event will catalyze paddlers to share experiences and skills to help grow the paddling community on Cape Breton Island and Nova Scotia.
Huge thanks to our volunteers and sponsors, and to anyone who will become a volunteer or sponsor this year. If you’d like to volunteer, please email info@livelifeintents.com.
Event Information
Location: Live Life In Tents in Margaree Forks, NS
Dates: June 5-7, 2026
Tickets go on sale Thursday, April 16th
Early-Bird $125 (Limited)
GA $145
If you’ve attended in past years and did not receive an email with a returning guest discount code, please reach out to info@livelifeintents.com
Rivers we’ll be paddling this year:
TBD
See our FAQ’s below
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We typically paddle parts of the NE and SW Margaree Rivers but if conditions allow, we may shift to paddling the Middle or Baddeck River on day 2 (Sunday).
Which section of the river will be dictated by the conditions the week before the event, but you can expect to have to navigate winding rivers with potentially some class 2 sections.
This event is set up to get people on the water to learn and share knowledge on how to safely navigate moving water.
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All experience levels are welcome however if you do not have any experience paddling moving water (rivers) and are not sure this event would be right for you please reach out via email or call 9024521600 and we can discuss.
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Yes, camping in our campground is FREE for everyone registered for the weekend.
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Most boats are suitable for this event however the rivers we paddle will have some boney sections. Those using kevlar canoes must take caution in some sections.
Sups, Kayaks, Canoes, and Packrafts welcome!
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This event goes forward rain or shine. It’s highly recommended that if you have a drysuit or wetsuit that you bring those. Plan for the worst, bring extra dry clothing on river and you should be good to go.
A list of items will be sent to you after registration.
Want to attend but don’t have a boat? The following rentals are available:
Packrafts
Sups
Rec Kayaks
Dry Suits (very limited)
And more.. email us for more information
Register for this event below.
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