A pontoon boat sets out for FOWL’s free boat ride during the Wilton Blueberry Festival. Submitted photo

WILTON — On Friday, August 4, the Friends of Wilson Lake (FOWL) will happily resume the popular free boat rides on Wilson Lake that have been a part of the Wilton Blueberry Festival for many years.  Covid-19 and scheduling problems nixed this event that always draws a crowd, but it’s back for the 2023 Blueberry Festival.

The rides are offered from 1:00 to 4:00, departing from the boat launch ramp in Wilton.  FOWL provides life jackets in a variety of sizes, or you can bring your own.  Children must be accompanied by an adult, and no pets are permitted on the boats.  There will also be an informative Loon Booth, with a visiting naturalist from Biodiversity Research Institute.  There is no charge for this event, but donations are welcome.

Seven pontoon boat owners are generously offering their boats and their insights about the lake for their passengers.  It’s a relaxing ride on the water with excellent views of nature.  No guarantee that loons will be out on the water or an eagle perching in a tree, but the route on the lake takes people past wooded shoreline and the beach cove at Kineowatha park, with views of a variety of houses and the mountains rising in the distance.

Friday, August 4, 2023, from 1 to 4 p.m., Town of Wilton boat launch. Cancellation in the event of thunderstorms or high winds. For more information, call 860-604-0424.