CHINA GROVE — Whether it’s being on the water or learning about the water, the animal life in it or how to keep the water clean and healthy, Rowan Creek Week 2026 has events for all ages to participate in and enjoy.
Scheduled for Sept. 12-19, this will be Rowan County’s eighth annual event. There is a fee for some of the activities, and some also require registration, which can be done by visiting www.rowancreekweek.org and clicking on the individual events.
Kelli Isenhour, education coordinator with Rowan County Soil and Water Conservation, presided over a working meeting at China Grove’s town hall with Jill Sellers, Parks and Recreation director for the town, serving as host. Representatives of multiple community partners, which are participating in Creek Week were on hand to discuss plans for the week and address any updates or needs for their particular scheduled event
Rowan Creek Week 2026 kicks off on Saturday, Sept. 12, with two events being held from 9 a.m. to noon including Granite Quarry’s annual Fall Fish for Fun at Granite Lake Park, 500 N. Salisbury Ave., and a litter sweep hosted by the China Grove Rotary, cleaning along Kimball Road between Patterson and Main streets and Coach Deal Road between Main Street and U.S. Rt. 29.
A storytime at South Main Book Company at 2 p.m. will conclude the activities for the first day.
Events continue on Sept. 13 with a Greenway and Oscar cleanup, nicknamed as noted in the event details, “for the furry green Sesame Street character with an affinity for garbage, Oscar is a 4-by-4-foot trash-catching device composed of fencing, PVC pipe and black-plastic tubing.”
The event will be led by the Catawba College Tri-Beta Biological Honors Society and the City of Salisbury’s Greenway, Bicycle and Pedestrian Committee. This will be followed by a Catawba College nature investigation and Reel Abilities fishing event at Ben Ketchie Park in Gold Hill, rain or shine, for individuals with physical and intellectual disabilities.
From 3-6 p.m., Plein Air Painting in the Park with the Carolina Plein Air group and a Catawba College student, Delilah Hathaway will be offered.
Isenhour shared that Hathaway organized the event and was able to secure help from The Center for the Environment for painting supplies.
On Sept. 14 at 9:30 a.m, a storm drain marking in Spencer will be held beginning at the shelter at Stanback Forest with an educational time. Spencer Town Manager Peter Franzese said the idea is they would gather “for education about why we should care about this and then go out to determine the locations between 10 a.m. and noon to stencil a message on the inlets for awareness.” Depending on the number of volunteers, he said they hope to mark drains in Salisbury as well as Spencer.
Two walks, a Creek Crawl at Grants Creek Trail and a guided nature walk in Spencer will round out the events for Sept. 14.
Events on Sept 15 will include a rain garden workshop and installation and a Sloan Park Creek Crawl and storytime concluding the day.
Sept. 16 will feature a tour of the water and wastewater treatment plant in the morning from 9:30 a.m. to noon with Water Wednesday at Salisbury City Park from 4-6 p.m. and will feature free fishing and activities for children.
Activities on Sept. 17 will include a free Project WET Educator Workshop at Dan Nicholas Park from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with portions held inside and outside. Two events will be held at the Rowan Public Library headquarters including a toddler story time at 10 a.m. and Art in the Afternoon at 4 p.m.
Also on Thursday will be the Rowan County Young Professionals and Sustainable Salisbury’s Stream Clean up at Towne Creek from 5-6 p.m. Volunteers can park at 702 E. Monroe St., and the group will meet at the Towne Creek Park picnic shelter.
Events on Thursday will conclude at 7 p.m. at New Sarum with some Creek Week trivia.
Multiple Creek Week events are on the Sept. 18 schedule including Books and Babies storytime at the Rowan Public Library headquarters at 9:30 a.m. followed by a tour of High Rock Dam at 10 a.m. Isenhour noted that space is limited for the tour and participants must be at least 18. See the website for additional tour requirements.
The town of Cleveland’s StoryWalk ribbon cutting will be held at 3:30 p.m. at the new Danny Gabriel Veteran Park. The book, said Isenhour, will center on an agricultural theme.
The final events on Friday will include the Tuckertown Litter Sweep and kayak launch and Lake Corriher Rocks! Where children of all ages can come and paint rocks and refresh the rock garden.
Sept. 19 will conclude Rowan Creek Week with a High Rock Clean Sweep and a free kayak launch both starting at 9 a.m. and the final event of the day and week being River Creatures at Rowan Wild from 1-2 p.m. during which time participants can explore various creatures.
Amy Cesak, education naturalist, said they had lots of new baby fish and crawdads, plus they would be doing a craft with the children.
A complete list of activities with times, locations and requirements are available on the website along with a list of event sponsors and community partners.
