CHARLESTON -- CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- Paddlers from across the nation are converging on the South Carolina coast to learn how to navigate their canoes and kayaks.

The three-day East Coast Canoe and Kayak Festival opens on Friday at James Island County Park near Charleston.

The festival features classes for paddlers from beginners to experts. Four classrooms are run simultaneously throughout the event, which features more than 40 vendors.

One of the highlights of the festival, now in its 20th year, is the cardboard canoe race scheduled for Sunday.

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