Ridgway River Festival (RiverFest) is a family-friendly celebration of the Uncompahgre River and surrounding community, featuring river races of all ages, live music, local food and drink, children’s activities, and watershed educational and cultural programs. “Junk of the Unc” is the day’s highlight, a race in which a boat built of scrap materials is steered through whitewater rapids and other people’s junk in order to reach the finish line in a 0.5-mile stretch of the river.
The Junk of the Unc’s Rules are as follows:
- Use any recycled or repurposed materials to make your river-craft (no actual boat materials or parts please).
- Be innovative and scientific – in the Junk of the Unc, creativity, amazing design, floatability, and resourcefulness are all vital factors.
- So that trash does not fall off crafts and float down the Uncompahgre River, please secure your parts and supplies well.
- Float by yourself or with a group of buddies (there are no rules about the number of members on a Junk of the Unc team).
- You could win one of our four categories if you get your craft about 50 feet down the river, ahead of the pack or with the most grace or style: Fastest Junk, Most Creative/Artistic Junk, Best Youth Competitor, and Junk with the Best Use of Repurposed Materials.
On Saturday, June 25, bring your rivercraft to Rollans Park by 12 p.m. From 11 a.m. to noon, participants can register for the race.
RiverFest is organized by the Uncompahgre Watershed Partnership, a non-profit watershed organization in Ouray County committed to preserving the economic, environmental, and aesthetic aspects of the Upper Uncompahgre River Watershed.
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