The Water Festival, to be held 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, April 28, in historic Downtown DeLand, is currently accepting sponsors for this year’s edition of the annual event.
The free, family-oriented festival is presented by Volusia Water Alliance, a nonprofit group composed of the City of DeLand, Stetson University’s Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience, Blue Spring Alliance, St. Johns Riverkeeper and others.
The alliance is currently accepting sponsors for The Water Festival. Sponsorship for this event is a unique opportunity to join a distinguished list of community advocates uniting for an urgent cause. Every sponsorship dollar goes to Volusia Water Alliance’s efforts to educate the public about the growing threats to our water supply.
With sponsorship packages ranging from $100 to $1,000, all sponsors receive space for a 10-foot-by-10-foot booth at The Water Festival and other promotional benefits. Water-related nonprofit organizations may have a 10-foot-by-10-foot booth space free of charge.
This year’s festival activities will include a sidewalk chalk-art competition, a live disc jockey and dancing, educational displays, interactive dance performances, live mermaids, a Blessing of the Waters inspired by a Native American tradition, children’s games and activities, vendor booths and other exciting opportunities for entertainment and education.
West Indiana Avenue will be blocked off from traffic for the event.
The Water Festival is a fun and unique event addressing a growing concern for the citizens of Volusia County: 92 percent of our natural water sources are in peril. Our springs, rivers and the aquifer from which we get our drinking water are suffering from increased pollution and declining flows caused by a growing populace.
While Volusia County depends on population growth for prosperity, growth need not mean more pollution and unnecessary water usage. With greater knowledge, residents can make better choices to conserve and protect our precious water sources.
The Water Festival is for all ages to celebrate water, and to learn and to join together to preserve and protect these essential natural resources.
Potential sponsors and vendors can download a sponsorship brochure at VolusiaWater.org/Sponsorships, which contains an application. The form must be submitted by March 31.
— Patrick Shannon