How long are rentals?

Rentals are offered in one-hour or two-hour blocks during the market season; check your booking for exact start and end times.

What is included with the rental?

Rentals include a paddle, life jacket, and a brief orientation from staff; a waiver is required before launch.

Do I need prior experience?

No prior experience is required—staff provide a quick orientation and basic instruction suitable for first-time paddlers.

Are reservations required?

Reservations are recommended on busy market days but walk-ups are accepted when craft are available.

What are the age and weight requirements?

Solo paddlers must be 12 years or older; children under 12 may ride in a tandem with an adult and must weigh at least 35 pounds.

When will operations pause?

Staff may pause or stop rentals for unsafe conditions such as high winds, lightning, or other weather that creates hazardous water conditions.

Paddling Pop-Up at Thiensville Farmers Market: Kayak and SUP on the Milwaukee River

On summer Tuesdays the Thiensville Farmers Market hosts a paddling pop up at Thiensville Village Park, 250 Elm St, Thiensville, WI 53092 on the Milwaukee River for short rental paddles. Bookings are offered during the market season from June through August and include one hour or two hour rental options with orientation and life jacket provided by staff on site. Single kayaks are $10 for 30 minutes, tandem kayaks are $15, and paddleboards are $15; a waiver is required and can be completed online or on site before launch. Participants must be twelve years or older to paddle solo; children under twelve may ride in a tandem kayak with an adult and must weigh at least 35 pounds total. The typical route is a relaxed out and back upstream of the Thiensville Dam, offering changing banks, shallow riffles, small docks, and tree lined edges along the river corridor today. Wildlife encounters are frequent here, with great blue herons, belted kingfishers, red winged blackbirds in marshy edges, and painted turtles often sunning on logs near midday sometimes. What makes the pop up unique is its immediacy: after buying produce at the market you can launch within minutes, turning a shopping trip into a brief river based adventure. Staff monitor conditions and will pause rentals for high winds, lightning, or other unsafe weather; water levels and dam releases can affect currents so check conditions before paddling and plan. Booking confirmations may reference Discovery World Dock as a meeting point in the reservation system, so read your confirmation carefully and arrive early to complete check in formalities and sizing. This popup suits families, novice paddlers, bird watchers, and anyone seeking a brief active break while visiting Thiensville: easy access, simple logistics, and scenery that feels unexpectedly wild and local. Photographers will find soft morning light and late afternoon glows most flattering, with reflections on slow water, sunlit turtles, and silhouette shots near the dam producing compelling local images daily. Bring sun protection, a small dry bag for electronics, layered clothing for changing mornings, sturdy shoes, and a refillable water bottle to stay hydrated on one to two hour paddles. Check the booking page for meeting details as some listings show Discovery World Dock; confirm the exact launch location on your reservation and arrive to allow time for sizing instruction. Respect river rules, pack out trash, avoid disturbing nesting birds and shoreline vegetation, and keep distance from wildlife to help maintain clean water and healthy river banks for future paddlers. Whether you aim to practice paddling skills, watch river birds, or simply add pause to a market morning, this pop up offers an accessible way to meet the Milwaukee River.

About Forward Outdoor

Forward Outdoor is a Milwaukee, Wisconsin outfitter specializing in paddling trips on the Milwaukee River. The company leads ten named river sections—West Bend, Newburg, Saukville, Grafton, Mequon, Thiensville, Brown Deer, Glendale, Shorewood, and Milwaukee—each designed for different skill levels and experiences. Trips range from short scenic floats and a 1.5‑hour Mequon mini Dells route to longer 3–6 hour runs through West Bend rapids and prairie. Routes include gentle rapids, tree‑lined bends, wildlife viewing, and urban waterfront paddling that passes Milwaukee’s skyline. Rentals and guided options focus on safety, clear route descriptions, and flexible trip lengths suitable for beginners and experienced paddlers alike.

Forward Outdoor provides trip endpoints at local parks such as Waubedonia Park, Ehlers Park, Veteran’s Memorial Park, Lime Kiln Park, Garrison’s Glen, and other public launch sites named in route descriptions. The outfitter emphasizes low‑impact river use and local stewardship while offering family‑friendly float options and beginner‑friendly rapids on select sections. Equipment, timing, and route choices are tailored per trip to match conditions and guest goals. Forward Outdoor’s presence in Milwaukee connects paddlers to quieter suburban stretches and more urban waterfront sections within a single river corridor. Prospective paddlers can select trips for wildlife viewing, gentle rapids, short urban escapes, or extended scenic journeys along the Milwaukee River. Trips often provide wildlife viewing opportunities—herons, turtles, and deer have been noted along several sections—and several routes finish near festivals, beer gardens, neighborhood parks, or parking areas for convenient access and easy post‑paddle plans for paddlers of all ages.