HURLOCK - ShoreRivers on Saturday, Nov. 5, will host the inaugural Riverboat Rendezvous and Race, an on-the-water party and friendly competition hosted aboard the Choptank Riverboat Company’s paddle wheelers in Hurlock.

This nautical adventure begins at 2 p.m. with cocktails and hors d’oeuvres under the pavilion and the honoring of Fred Pomeroy, this year’s winner of the ShoreRivers Award for Environmental Stewardship.

“A waterman, Century Farm owner, poet, former teacher, and courageous citizen activist, Pomeroy’s tenacity and grassroots organizing has been a galvanizing force in our community on behalf of clean water,” a statement from ShoreRivers said.

Following the award ceremony, guests will board the Dorothy & Megan and Choptank River Queen for a tandem cruise and race.

During the race, guests will have the chance to support ShoreRivers’ Riverkeeper program, a key part of its mission to protect and restore Eastern Shore waterways through science-based advocacy, restoration and education. Proceeds will help fund new boats and the equipment necessary to keep the Riverkeepers outfitted with all they need to be on the water monitoring and protecting rivers.

“The Riverboat Rendezvous is a brand-new event, and promises to be an incredible afternoon,” ShoreRivers Executive Director Isabel Hardesty said. “Our volunteers and supporters in the area told us they were ready for a new kind of celebration after more than a decade of hosting a Wild & Scenic Film Festival. We’re very grateful for the energy and imagination they have put in to creating this event that can showcase our mission from the water.”

ShoreRivers invites guests to have fun and show off their favorite nautical attire from any era as they raise their paddles for the Riverkeepers and race their vessels.

ShoreRivers extends special thanks to River Steward Sponsors: James and Pamela Harris, The Easton Group at Morgan Stanley and EcoPrint; River Guardian Sponsors: Bruce & Barbara Boyd, William and Meta Boyd, Eugene Lopez and Mary Revell Lopez, Alfred and Martha Sikes, Richard and Beverly Tilghman, and Philip and Irmy Webster; and Patron Sponsors Bruce and Jenny Abel, William and Barbara Lane, Ron Rothman and Robin Stricoff, and Theodore Carski and Janet Ruhl. Sponsorships are still available at various levels and include complimentary tickets. Email Freya Farley at ffarley@shorerivers.org to learn more.

Visit shorerivers.org/events to buy tickets.