If you’ve ever thought about learning how to paddle around Lake Lanier, but weren’t quite ready for the investment in a canoe, here’s your chance.

Through September, the Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club is hosting its annual Come Try It at the boathouse. The casual drop-in event is open from 1 to 6 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and is open to individuals, couples and families who want to learn some paddling basics.

“We have a person on duty, and ... the person on duty will help them choose the boat and give them some basic instruction, and they can paddle around the area for a while,” said Brenda Miller, office administrator for the Canoe and Kayak Club. “For more in-depth instruction, we have other things. But this is just very basic.”

It’s also a chance for former paddlers to get back into it, Miller said, and a way to introduce more locals to the venue, which hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics.

The Come Try It has been an annual tradition for years, Miller added.

“It’s really a big asset to this community,” she said of the former Olympic venue. “We have a lot of recreation programs as well as training programs for adults and youth. We really have something to offer for all age groups.”