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: Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Ouray County and Colorado State public health departments are not recommending specific restrictions for outdoor events. We encourage you to stay informed of the situation, and do what you are comfortable with 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.
NEW for 2022, the festival will be compressed into 5 hours!
UPDATED 2022 FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
12 noon Festival opens, including Silent Auction and
Booths with giveaways, interactive learning, and more
Food & Dessert by Southern Belle, Sunrise Burritos & Snowbirds Craft Shaved Ice
Beer by Colorado Boy and Margaritas by The Liquor Store
12-12:30 p.m. Race registration & Watershed talk on stage
12:30 p.m. Emcee David LeBlanc introduction & entertainment
12:45 p.m. Safety briefing next to river
1 p.m. Races start on river
1:30-2:15 p.m. Ute cultural presentation by Roland McCook on stage
2:30 p.m. Junk of the Unc competition on river
3 p.m. Announcement of Winners of the River Races, Junk of the Unc and
Uncompahgre River Classic peak flow contest
3-4 p.m. Live music by Jack Hadley Band on stage
3:15 p.m. First Silent Auction Section closes
3:45 p.m. Rubber Ducky registration closes
4 p.m. Rubber Ducky Race on river
4:15 p.m. Live music by Jack Hadley Band on stage
4:15 p.m Second Silent Auction wave closes
5 p.m. Festival closes and sales end for drinks, food, silent auction, etc.
See you next year!
We are a food truck and are interested in participating in your 2020 festival. Can you please send information and the entry fee amount. We do baked potatoes, wraps, and sandwiches.
The information and fee for the 2020 festival should be same as 2019 festival so you can look at this sheet: https://ridgwayriverfestival.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/2019-ridgwayriverfest-food-vendors.pdf. Where are you located? Our festival is in Ridgway, Colorado (between Montrose and Ouray). You can contact me (Tanya) directly at ridgwayriverfest@gmail.com. Thank you!