Festival Schedule

The 2021 Ridgway RiverFest is coming up soon: 

Saturday, August 28!

The Ridgway RiverFest is a family-friendly celebration of the Uncompahgre River, our watershed and river recreation with all-age river races, live music, local food and drink, kids’ activities, watershed educational and cultural programs.  The highlight of the day is the infamous “Junk of the Unc” race in which boaters maneuver their craft,  constructed from scrap materials not intended for river travel, through whitewater rapids and others’ junk, trying to keep it all intact until the finish line.

RiverFest is produced by the Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership, a Ouray County nonprofit watershed group dedicated to helping protect the economic, natural, and scenic values of the Upper Uncompahgre River Watershed.

COVID-19 UPDATE: UWP is monitoring the progress of COVID-19 and following the guidance offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Ouray County and Colorado State public health departments. Currently, no specific restrictions are recommended for outdoor events. We encourage you to stay informed of the situation, review and follow the CDC and public health department guidelines to ensure your health and safety. Please do not attend RiverFest if you feel sick or have tested positive for COVID-19. More information: https://ouraycountyco.gov/396/Coronavirus-COVID-19-Updates-and-Resourc.

River Races – Change due to August Flows!

Everyone who comes to the Ridgway RiverFest has a chance to get WET and enjoy the river. You can wade in the eddy and along the riverbanks or play on your watercraft in the middle of the river. For those who are more competitive, we have a few river races you can join. The Ridgway RiverFest features:

• Junk of the Unc homemade boat competition
• Rubber Ducky Race
• Boating races – keep an eye out for more information; this year’s boating events will be modified for the low late-summer flows.

Learn more on our River Races Page.

2021 FESTIVAL SCHEDULE

ROLLANS PARK | RIDGWAY, CO

10-11 a.m.                       River race registration

10:00 a.m.                       Silent Auction bidding begins

10 a.m.-4 p.m.                Watershed Information & Activity Center Open

10 – 10:30 a.m.               River Watch Demo at UWP Watershed Education Booth

10 a.m.-6 p.m.                 Food by Mountain Country BBQ and Double Barrel Taco

Beer by Colorado Boy & Margaritas by The Liquor Store

11 – 11:30 a.m.               Bug Science at the UWP Watershed Education Booth

11 a.m.                            River race safety briefing

11:15 a.m.                       River Contests: Safety Rope Bag toss, etc.

12 noon                           Inflatables Bonanza mass start

12 – 12:30 p.m.               River Watch Demo at UWP Watershed Education Booth

12:30-1:30 p.m.              Ute cultural presentation

1 – 1:30 p.m.                   Bug Science at the UWP Watershed Education Booth

2:00 p.m.                         Junk of the Unc homemade river-craft race

2:30-3:30 p.m.                Live Music by Doug & Heather

2:30 – 3 p.m.                   River Watch Demo at UWP Watershed Education Booth

3:00 p.m.                         River Race Awards Ceremony

3:00 p.m.                         Wave 1 Silent Auction bidding closes & winners pick up items

3:30 p.m.                         Rubber Ducky Race

3:30 – 4 p.m.                   Bug Science at UWP Watershed Education Booth

4:00 p.m.                         Wave 2 Silent Auction bidding closes & winners pick up items

4-6 p.m.                           Live Music by Jack Hadley Band

5:00 p.m.                         Wave 3 Silent Auction bidding closes & winners pick up items

6:00 p.m.                         Music and Festival end