The City of Fort Collins will commemorate the grand opening of the new Poudre River Whitewater Park on Saturday, Oct. 12, 10 a.m.- noon. The public event, held at the Poudre River Whitewater Park, will feature informative exhibits in the historic Quonset hut, live music, a children’s activity, and a celebratory ribbon-cutting ceremony.
“The Poudre River Whitewater Park has long been a dream for the Fort Collins community. Without the passion and dedication of our community members, this vision may not have come to life,” says Kurt Friesen, director of Park Planning and Development with the City of Fort Collins. “We are grateful to our funders, community advocates, partners and colleagues for their commitment and continued support throughout the entirety of this exciting project.”
The Poudre River Whitewater Park is the newest addition to Fort Collins’ extensive parks system. In addition to providing new recreational opportunities along the river, the project contributed to bringing the river back to a more natural state, connecting the river to the downtown business area, providing safe access to the river, and improving the river floodplain.
Notable park features include designated river access points, fish passageways, an impressive pedestrian bridge, a south bank terrace and seating options, custom artwork, and a children’s play area. The custom-designed Art in Public Places wave shelter located along the south bank, created by artist John Davis, draws inspiration from the motion and whitewater bubbles created by the river.
The Poudre River Whitewater Park Grand Opening celebrates all who contributed to the creation of the park, offering every guest an opportunity to connect with the river in this unique, new setting.
Poudre River Whitewater Park is located at 201 E. Vine Drive. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will begin at 10:30 a.m. For more information about the Poudre River Whitewater Park Grand Opening, visit fcgov.com/parkplanning.