Gettin' River Festive
river festivals: the good, the bad, and the downright dangerous
If you've got a great river (we've got two!) you better fest it up. River-themed festivals are a great way to call attention to the wonderful water, bring citizens together, and boost tourism.
What can be done? Here's an un-filtered, 3-minute brainstorm of water-based festival ideas from V1 Staff ...
- Riverside Fish Fry
- Cardboard Boat Races
- Pontoon & Paddle Parade
- Fishing Contests
- Floating Entertainment Stage (tubers, boaters float up to it)
- Water Barrel over the River (firehose battle to get a barrel over opponents line)
- River Search & Rescue Demos
- “Flutag” Off a Bridge
- River Treasure Hunt
- Kayak & Canoe Races
- Rubber Ducky Float
- Stone Skipping Competitions
- Bird & Wildlife Watching Tours
- Gondolla Rides
- Illuminate the Bridges at Night
- Bridge-Based Foot Races (crisscross them all in one race)
- Floating Bonfires
- Log Rolling/Lumberjack Competitions
- Ski Sprites/Motor Boat Action
- Zip Line Across the River
- Slack Line Across the River
- River and Park History Tours
- Bike Trail Rides Along Rivers
- Glass-Bottom Boat Rides
- Hot Air Balloon Rides at Confluence
- DIY Sea Creatures
- Panning for ‘Gold’
- Dragon Boat Races
- BMX Riders Quarter-piping into the River
- Bobbing for Apples
- Scuba Rentals/Lessons
- River Baptisms
- River-Based Performance Art
- Yoga in the River
- Float Candles Down the River at Night
- Sand Castle Building
- River Explorer Reenactments
- River Ecology Seminars
- Pirates!
- Lessons (kayaking, canoeing, tubing safety, etc)
- Zorbing the Rivers (person inside big floating hamster ball)
- Giant Human Slingshot into River
- Rope Swing
- Water Balloons/ Squirt guns
- Noodling
- River WaterColors (easels set up in water ankle deep)
- Pre-Fest River Cleanup Event
- River Photo Contest
- Fashion Show on the River (river-inspired artsy creations)
- Warrior Dash-Inspired River Race
- Doggie Swim Thing
- Hunting/Bird Dog Water Shows
- Belly Flop Contest