Poudre RiverFest Returns to Fort Collins

,Local nonprofit organizations are partnering to host the annual Poudre RiverFest, a free community festival that celebrates the Poudre River, promotes restoration, and educates people about our river corridor, an important natural resource in our community. The festival will be held on Saturday, Aug. 12 at New Belgium Brewing from Noon – 6 p.m. and will feature live music, family-friendly activities, food trucks, and New Belgium beer.

The August 12th event will feature a variety of entertainment, including live music from local bands Blue Grama Bluegrass, Native Station, Shtonk Brass, and Fancy Bits. In addition, the festival will be home to the River Fun Zone, presented by the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado. The River Fun Zone will include free family programming such as “Birding 101,” “Stormwater Soup,” and “Poudre River Investigators,” all designed to educate families on the significance of the Cache la Poudre River through exploratory activities.

Open throughout the entire day. The Poudre River Experience is an immersive tunnel that takes attendees through each section of our river. Guests will have the opportunity to win prizes by collecting stamps in their very own Poudre River Passport. Attendees can also show off their furry friend in the Pet Photo Contest presented by Poudre Pet & Feed Supply.

This year marks the tenth annual Poudre RiverFest. In May of 2014, following the high floodwaters of 2013, like-minded nonprofits launched the festival to educate and celebrate the Poudre River. More than 20,000 people have attended the festival in person or virtually since its inception. Last year’s festival saw over 2,000 individuals enjoying festivities, and we anticipate this year’s event will continue to draw more community members.

This year’s organizing partners are the Bird Conservancy of the Rockies, Coalition for the Poudre River Watershed, City of Fort Collins Utilities, National Association for Interpretation, Poudre Heritage Alliance, and Wildlands Restoration Volunteers. The sponsors are New Belgium Brewing, Community Foundation of Northern Colorado, Poudre Pet & Feed Supply, Compost Queen, Fort Collins Nursery, OneCanopy, Downtown Development Authority, Dutch Bros Northern Colorado, and Western Resource Advocates. The 2023 Poudre RiverFest media partners are Townsquare Media and CBS Colorado. The Poudre RiverFest also receives the Fort Fund, which supports arts and cultural events that enrich the creative vitality of the community, promote local heritage and diversity, and provide opportunities for arts and cultural participation.

Proceeds from the event will go to support river-based restoration and education. Businesses and individuals are encouraged to get involved! To learn how to get your business or organization involved or to get information about the Poudre RiverFest schedule of events, visit www.poudreriverfest.org.