Gettin' River Festive

river festivals: the good, the bad, and the downright dangerous

IT'S BEEN DONE! Old-timey river fun – a tight rope walker over the Eau Claire River near downtown EC..
It's been done! A tight rope walker over the Eau Claire River near downtown EC.

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 ...

  1. Riverside Fish Fry
  2. Cardboard Boat Races
  3. Pontoon & Paddle Parade
  4. Fishing Contests
  5. Floating Entertainment Stage (tubers, boaters float up to it)
  6. Water Barrel over the River (firehose battle to get a barrel over opponents line)
  7. River Search & Rescue Demos
  8. “Flutag” Off a Bridge
  9. River Treasure Hunt
  10. Kayak & Canoe Races
  11. Rubber Ducky Float
  12. Stone Skipping Competitions
  13. Bird & Wildlife Watching Tours
  14. Gondolla Rides
  15. Illuminate the Bridges at Night  
  16. Bridge-Based Foot Races (crisscross them all in one race)
  17. Floating Bonfires
  18. Log Rolling/Lumberjack Competitions
  19. Ski Sprites/Motor Boat Action
  20. Zip Line Across the River
  21. Slack Line Across the River
  22. River and Park History Tours
  23. Bike Trail Rides Along Rivers
  24. Glass-Bottom Boat Rides
  25. Hot Air Balloon Rides at Confluence
  26. DIY Sea Creatures
  27. Panning for ‘Gold’
  28. Dragon Boat Races
  29. BMX Riders Quarter-piping into the River
  30. Bobbing for Apples
  31. Scuba Rentals/Lessons
  32. River Baptisms
  33. River-Based Performance Art
  34. Yoga in the River
  35. Float Candles Down the River at Night
  36. Sand Castle Building
  37. River Explorer Reenactments
  38. River Ecology Seminars  
  39. Pirates!
  40. Lessons (kayaking, canoeing, tubing safety, etc)
  41. Zorbing the Rivers (person inside big floating hamster ball)
  42. Giant Human Slingshot into River
  43. Rope Swing
  44. Water Balloons/ Squirt guns
  45. Noodling
  46. River WaterColors (easels set up in water ankle deep)
  47. Pre-Fest River Cleanup Event
  48. River Photo Contest
  49. Fashion Show on the River (river-inspired artsy creations)
  50. Warrior Dash-Inspired River Race
  51. Doggie Swim Thing
  52. Hunting/Bird Dog Water Shows
  53. Belly Flop Contest