Video: Arkansas River Tubing Safety Guide
Essential tips for safely tubing the Arkansas River in Pueblo, Colorado, including gear requirements and river awareness.
- The second annual Steel City Arkansas River Festival (SCARF) is Saturday, June 27.
- The festival includes a build-your-own-boat race and a cornhole tournament, as well as a Paddle and Bike Parade.
- The freestyle river surf competition had to be canceled because of low flows on the Arkansas River.
A unique festival celebrating Pueblo’s natural beauty and outdoor recreation opportunities in a day chock-full of family-friendly fun is set to return on Saturday, June 27.
The second annual Steel City Arkansas River Festival (SCARF) is taking place about a month earlier than 2025’s inaugural event, and will feature competitive and community events, live music, an “Adventure Alley” for kids, a beer garden for adults, and much more.
“We’re excited to bring back SCARF, a free community festival, for a second year with additional events and to have all the fun in one place at WaterWorks Park,” SCARF Event Manager Lindsay Martin said in a city news release.
“There’s opportunity for outdoor enthusiasts, water lovers, family friendly event demonstrations and fun all day long at WaterWorks Park during SCARF. We can’t wait to see you there.”
This year’s festival, which goes from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., will feature two competitive events — a build-your-own-boat race and a cornhole tournament — as well as two community events, the paddle and bike parade and the rubber duck race.
A freestyle river surf competition, a popular event at the 2025 festival, was also planned for this year’s SCARF, but had to be canceled due to low flows in the Arkansas River.
What to know about this year’s festival events
The Build Your Own Boat Race takes place at 10 a.m. at the Nature Wildlife Discovery Center and ends approximately 1.05 miles downriver at Waterworks Park. Race divisions include teams of two- and four-person crews for participants 18 and older, with heats launching every 20 minutes.
The Adventure Alley for kids, led by Generation Wild of the Pueblo Region, takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with hands-on demonstrations, interactive fun, river ecology information with Trout Unlimited and more. Free activities for youth will take place throughout the day.
The cornhole tournament begins at 2 p.m. and offers the opportunity for competitors to win cash prizes.
The Paddle and Bike Parade, set for 3 p.m. at Waterworks Park’s Burkhardt Crossing, is a free, family-friendly event designed to bring the community together for a relaxed river float and casual bike ride along the river. Participants, who must be 8 years old or older, are asked to register ahead of time to ensure a smooth and safe experience.
Parade participants under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. For safety, personal flotation devices are required for those floating the river, and helmets are strongly encouraged for anyone biking along the scenic river trail.
The last event of the day will be the Rubber Duck Race, which begins at 5 p.m. Funds raised through the race will benefit scholarships for Pueblo Parks and Recreation’s youth programming.
What food and entertainment options will be available?
For those who work up an appetite and need a break from the events, food vendors will be on hand with local food trucks serving up goodies from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Food trucks that have signed up for the event, according to the city’s event website, include Cafe Murillo, Hippie Steve’s, Ice Cream Sammy’s, Shiver & Shake, Tom’s Travelin Coffee Truck, Holy Cow Food Truck #2, Little Squeezers, and Nonna’s NY Kitchen.
For adults of legal drinking age, a beer garden will be available from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with Pueblo Friends of the Arkansas River.
Live music, in collaboration with the Steel City Music Showcase, will take place from 3-6 p.m., including performances by Rhythm & Reverie, Inaiah Lujan and Heavy Diamond Ring.
For kids, Generation Wild Pueblo will have an area at Waterworks Park geared toward getting kids and their families outdoors. There will be a guest appearance from Wilder — the part goat, part Yeti spokescreature for Great Outdoors Colorado.
To ensure a safe and fun experience for everyone, festival organizers ask that children be supervised at all times.
Where to park or catch a free shuttle
The city is providing a free, ADA-accessible shuttle service through Pueblo Transit from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with pickup sites at the following locations:
- Dutch Clark Stadium, 1001 W. Abriendo Ave.
- West 11th Street and Pueblo Boulevard dirt lot, located at the southeast corner of the intersection of West 11th Street and Pueblo Boulevard.
- Pillar Park, 1 Rapids Place. (Only available from 3-6 p.m.)
Shuttles will depart at the top of every hour.
A free bike valet will also be located at Waterworks Park, provided by Grassroots Gravel.
For those planning on driving to the festival, parking options include the City Park Skate Park, the City Park Pool, or the Pueblo Zoo parking lot.
Chieftain Editor Zach Hillstrom can be reached at [email protected] or on X, at @ZachHillstrom. Support local news; subscribe to the Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.chieftain.com ’
