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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The annual Riverfest celebration proved to be fun and educational for community residents of all ages on Saturday.</p><p>The festival continued its second day with multiple learning opportunities and events, including a &#8220;Birds of Prey&#8221; show, horse rides and live music.</p><p>Children&#8217;s activities filled one tent, including learning about oil and insects at the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection&#8217;s stand.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re showing kids different bugs that live in the river and their importance,&#8221; said DEP spokeswoman Colleen Connolly.</p><p>Connolly also said the DEP demonstrated an oil spill to show children what happens to the river when it becomes polluted, and how an oil spill is cleaned up.</p><p>Other stands included informational pieces on ticks and Lyme disease, wildfire safety with Smokey the Bear and owl education. The Wilkes-Barre Fire Department also had its fire-safety house on hand.</p><p>Lines formed around the Wilkes-Barre Restored Church stand, which was handing out free sno-cones, and inviting children to have their face painted.</p><p>Angela Ward, of Shavertown, brought her family to Riverfest and said she continues to come to the event yearly.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s a nice event for the family,&#8221; Ward said. &#8220;The food trucks were delicious, and the pony rides were fun for the kids.&#8221;</p><p>The largest group on Saturday was formed around the &#8220;Birds of Prey&#8221; exhibit, which was put on by the Endless Mountains Nature Center.</p><p>Wildlife rehabber Rebecca Lesko asked the crowd if they knew of any local birds of prey before bringing out her first guest, an eastern screech owl.</p><p>As the crowd admired the state&#8217;s smallest owl, Lesko explained how it was brought to the recuse after losing its eye in an collision with a truck.</p><p>Another hit was the American kestrel, a red-tail falcon.</p><p>&#8220;These guys make the famous long screeching noise that producers like to use in movies,&#8221; she said, noting that Eagles actually make a much shorter, quieter noise.</p><p>Riverfest is organized by the Riverfront Parks Committee and runs through Sunday afternoon.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">A small group of kayakers paddle down the river in Forty Fort. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_river1_faa.jpg</photo0><caption0>A small group of kayakers paddle down the river in Forty Fort. </caption0><photoCredit0>Fred Adams | for Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_river2_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Mike Nissel, of Harrisburg, fly fishes during Riverfest. He caught six fish as he drifted along the shore line. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_river2_faa.jpg</photo1><caption1>Mike Nissel, of Harrisburg, fly fishes during Riverfest. He caught six fish as he drifted along the shore line. </caption1><photoCredit1>Fred Adams | for Times Leader </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_river3_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Jennifer Davison, of Warrior Run, puddles her kayak toward the Nesbit Park boat launch. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_river3_faa.jpg</photo2><caption2>Jennifer Davison, of Warrior Run, puddles her kayak toward the Nesbit Park boat launch. </caption2><photoCredit2>Fred Adams | for Times Leader </photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_river4_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Shane Kleiner holds a 10-week-old raccoon as Angie Colarusso explains about the creature to an audience at the Riverfest in Nesbit Park. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_river4_faa.jpg</photo3><caption3>Shane Kleiner holds a 10-week-old raccoon as Angie Colarusso explains about the creature to an audience at the Riverfest in Nesbit Park. </caption3><photoCredit3>Fred Adams | for Times Leader </photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_river5_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Several kayakers pass under the Pierce Street Bridge during Riverfest. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/web1_river5_faa.jpg</photo4><caption4>Several kayakers pass under the Pierce Street Bridge during Riverfest. </caption4><photoCredit4>Fred Adams | for Times Leader </photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Area residents flock to annual Riverfest</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>Marcella Kester</p><p>For Times Leader</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach the Times Leader newsroom at 570-829-7242 or on Twitter @TLnews.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Riverfest offers a little bit of education and a whole lot of fun