The Tuscarora State Park Summer Festival on Saturday promises fun for the family with everything from games and programs to crafts and dancing.

There’s even a race, and not just any kind of race.

It’s a cardboard box boat race, and festival organizers from the Friends of Tuscarora and Locust Lake State Park are looking for teams to participate.

“We are hoping it will be an annual tradition for us at Tuscarora,” said Jennifer Holman, a Friends board member.

For the race, Holman said participants will design and build a boat from cardboard and duct tape. Once finished, the team will launch the boat on Tuscarora lake, and one of the team’s “crew members” will board it and paddle it to the finish line.

The crew member and at least 80% of the boat must complete the contest.

“We are hoping to have school teams, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and more come together” for the contest, Holman said. “They will get to use some educational skills like geometry and physics, as well as important skills like planning and design, and working with a team.”

Materials will be provided, however, participants can bring their own and should check in by 12:30 p.m. Rules are posted on the Friends of Tuscarora & Locust Lake State Parks Facebook page.

Holman said that the festival runs from noon to 4 p.m. and will be based at Pavilion 1 at the park in Rush Township.

Another new event for 2023 is a strawberry pie baking contest, she said. Entries will be judged beginning at 12:30 p.m.

Programs will be presented by the Red Creek Wildlife Center at 1:30 p.m., and the Pennsylvania Bat Rescue at 2:30 p.m. At 3 p.m. the Remade by Dance studio will perform, followed by a 3:30 p.m. presentation by the Pocono Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center.

Ridge Valley Farms will demonstrate how maple syrup is made at 2 p.m.

There will be a number of food trucks on hand including Phil’s French Fries, The Grill Reaper, Sughr Cupcakes and Cheek’s Stone Rolled Ice Cream.

Sponsors include St. Luke’s University Health Network and Explore Schuylkill.