Montrose, CO – Get your boats and boards and come play in the cool Colorado runoff of the Uncompahgre River during the annual Colorado FUNC (Fun on the Uncompahgre) Festival scheduled for Saturday, July 14 at Riverbottom Park.

The City of Montrose Office of Business and Tourism (OBT) is currently preparing for the FUNC Fest - now in its fourth year – which is held in and around the city’s famed Water Sports Park. The event is open for boaters and whitewater enthusiasts of all skill levels and designed to educate people who wish to learn more or may be new to whitewater activities. If whitewater activities are not your thing, then simply come and enjoy good food, music, and fun while sitting in the shade. 

Last summer, the OBT was excited to welcome over 5,000 visitors to FUNC Fest, a nearly 100-percent increase over 2016. The strong attendance is attributed to the overall growing excitement for the annual festival and its family-oriented activities. The OBT expects even higher attendance this year due to growing anticipation around the outdoor recreation event. 

The 2018 FUNC Fest will feature more live music than ever before, with three live bands and a live DJ in the lineup. Live bands will be preforming from noon to 5:30 p.m., while DJ Scotty Kenton drops tunes along the water park from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. A great variety of food and beverage vendors will be available along with family-centered activities. Alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase from vendors at the event, but no alcohol beverages purchased outside of the event are permitted in Riverbottom Park.

Montrose band Neon Sky will perform from noon to 1:30 p.m. with The Workshy of Denver performing from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Headliner Groovement from Arkansas will play from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Thanks to our largest sponsors at Montrose Kayak and Surf and Cherry Creek Radio, FUNC Fest will feature water activities, crafts and games for children, and adult boat races held inside the whitewater park. Whitewater competitions include a downriver race in the morning, while stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) competition is scheduled for the afternoon. 

Mike Harvey, owner of Badfish SUP in Salida, is the race director again this year. He will also emcee and preside over pre-race registration and river competitions. 

The public is encouraged to participate in the FUNC-y River Parade that is sponsored by Montrose Kayak and Surf. Participants are encouraged to arrive with their river float, helmet, and personal flotation device (PFD) to join in the fun. Registration is on-site that day and entries are $5.00 per each float. Anyone wanting to participate in the parade is encouraged to get creative and customize a raft or boat that can safely traverse the river without breaking or falling apart.

A pet-friendly hydration station will be set up for those wanting to bring pets to the park.  

The Montrose Water Sports Park consists of 1,000 feet of river channel, making it one of the largest parks in Colorado, and is one of the few in the United States built to be accessible by Americans with Disabilities Act standards. What sets the Montrose Water Sports Park above others is its sustained flows, which are aided by local irrigation water. These flows can be sustained throughout the season and into late summer, long after flows in other water parks have ebbed. 

For more information about the FUNC Fest please contact the OBT at 970.497.8558 or email at: events@visitmontrose.com. 

Questions about the FUNC-y River Parade can be directed to Bill Glasscock at Montrose Kayak and Surf at 970.249.8730 or via email at: montrosekayakandsurf@gmail.com. 

For questions about the racing competition or to pre-register contact Mike Harvey at 719.221.1710 or via email at: mike@badfishsup.com.

More information about Montrose Water Sports Park rules can be found online at: ColoradoFUNCFest.com. Follow Visit Montrose on Instagram and Twitter @VisitMontrose and on Facebook at MontroseWSP. 

For more city news visit: CityOfMontrose.org.

# # #