FIBArk and Salida are in the Same Boat

After being postponed and modified last year due to COVID-19, the City of Salida is proud to host the 73rd annual FIBArk Festival June 17-20. 

America’s oldest whitewater festival and the largest event in Chaffee County is a collaborative effort between the City and nonprofit organization FIBArk. It has grown from a single boat race into a city-wide river celebration with something for everyone, including whitewater boat races, running and mountain biking races, a crazy river dog competition, food and music, art exhibitors, and the hugely popular Hooligan Race. 

This year all of the main events will be back (except for the carnival and parade) with some slight changes to optimize safety, including a cap on the number of ticket sales. 

“The FIBArk festival has become an icon for Salida,” said Diesel Post, Director of Parks and Recreation. “While most know FIBArk for its annual whitewater festival, many don’t know the community benefit that the FIBArk board brings to the town. They continue to work when the festival is over to help nurture a love of paddlesports and the river from even the youngest in the community.”

Money raised by this year’s ticket sales will fund FIBArk’s nonprofit youth paddling program, Kids in Kayaks, which helps students at Longfellow Elementary School learn to kayak and nurtures a love for the river. Salida is the only community offering this type of programming in public schools.

Salida and FIBArk have evolved together over the last 72 years, and the partnership between the City and the nonprofit is as strong today as ever. As Salida has grown, FIBArk continues to attract and build a community that recognizes the importance of the Arkansas River to the area’s unique way of life. 

“The interconnectedness of the mission of FIBArk, the FIBArk festival and the livelihood of the community as a whole has been realized through this pandemic,” said Post. ”FIBArk and Salida are continuing to educate community members that the river is an instrumental part of our history, our present, and our future.”