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Pueblo schedules 12-day Still City Arkansas River Festival July 26; races, demos and after-party planned
Summary
Pueblo parks staff described a 12-day Arkansas River festival beginning July 26 with river races, a paddle-and-bike parade, vendor village, free shuttles and a Trailgate after-party; organizer expects several thousand attendees but said this is the festival's first year.
Lindsay Martin, outdoor recreation administrator, and Steven Meyer, director of parks and recreation, briefed the Pueblo City Council on the Still City Arkansas River Festival (branded "SCARF") scheduled to begin Saturday, July 26. The free, multi-event community festival is planned to span about 3.5 miles of the Arkansas River from the Nature & Wildlife Discovery Center downstream to the Whitewater Kayak Park and will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on the main day.
Martin said festival highlights include a build-your-own-boat race, a paddle-and-bike parade, a rubber duck race, a river-surf competition (subject to adequate river flows), a vendor village at Waterworks Park, hands-on recreation demos, a beer garden run by PAWS Animal Shelter and live music at Pillar Park. She said Bad Fish, a rafting/surf outfitter from Salida, will run the river-surf competition if flows permit, and Grassroots Gravel will provide free bike-valet parking at Waterworks Park.
Organizers plan three shuttle stops to help attendees move among festival areas; Martin identified the shuttle partner as "Plobal Transit" in the presentation. The event will include free water for attendees; Martin said she has restroom capacity at event sites for roughly 1,200 people at any one time and that, spread across the full day and river corridor, she is "shooting for 5,000" attendees in the festival's first year.
Martin said the Colorado Lottery will present the Starburst award at 5:30 p.m. at Levee Trail/Pillar Park and that local mural artists, fly-fishing demos, disc-golf and skateboarding activities will be among the family-friendly offerings. She encouraged preregistration for some activities and said the festival is intended to showcase the Arkansas River and local outdoor-recreation partners.
Council members responded positively. Councilman Barson thanked organizers and described the event as a highlight for new river amenities. Staff said they will continue coordination on logistics, flows and safety for river events and will update council as needed; no formal council action was taken at the work session.
