Colorado’s first whitewater festival is also the last this spring, as the 58th annual Blue Paddle FIBArk Festival caps the state’s lengthening season of river festivals with four days of world-class whitewater fun and competition on the Arkansas River at Salida. Since 1949, the volunteer-run, nonprofit FIBArk (First in Boating on the Arkansas) Festival has attracted whitewater enthusiasts from around the world. With the Arkansas River currently at above-average flows, this year’s festival, taking place Thursday through Sunday, is sure to include above-average river-running enthusiasm along with bicycle, skateboard and footrace competitions. Outdoor concerts from Liquid Soul, The Motet and Leftover Salmon frontman Vince Herman combine with a carnival-style midway in Salida’s Riverside Park to add to the traditional community ambience of the nation’s oldest whitewater festival. The competition (and carnage) gets underway Thursday at 10 a.m. with the Pine Creek Boater X through the class IV-V rapids upstream from Buena Vista before moving into Salida for the Tenderfoot Hill Climb, raft racing and the annual “raft rodeo” later in the day.
Check it out — For a complete schedule and registration, log onto www.fibark.com.
