MORAINE – The 2019 Moraine State Park Regatta kicked off Saturday with day-long outdoor activities, food, entertainment and vendors.

“The goal is to celebrate Moraine,” regatta coordinator Amanda Becker said.

Becker worked with regional businesses and companies to put together a new vendor tent called the Workforce Development Tent. Becker said the idea came from recognizing a need for local employers to meet potential employees – and for potential employees to feel comfortable meeting employers.

“The workforce development is a huge issue in our region,” Becker said. “We thought it would be a creative way to handle that.”

The tent boasts 11 vendors, including Northwest Region State Game Warden Jacob Olexsak. He spoke with a dozen individuals who wanted to know about the state's deputy game warden program. All of them also just happened to be passing through.

“All of the people that we've talked to have been here with their family,” he said.

Olexsak noted the Workforce Development Tent has accomplished its mission: providing an informal job fair opportunity.

The Workforce Tent and other festivities continue Sunday.

A full article on the regatta will appear in Monday's Butler Eagle.