FIBArk Whitewater Festival

FIBArk is the nation's oldest whitewater festival and Salida's signature event. Since 1949, every June during the spring snow runoff, Salida has hosted FIBArk (First in Boating on the Arkansas), a multi-day gathering that folds live music into a broader celebration of the river, the town, and the community around both. The festival lands in mid-June and draws a mix of locals, boaters, and out-of-town visitors. For guests, it is one of the essential warm-weather Colorado festival experiences with real roots in the town; for artists, playing FIBArk puts you in front of one of the state's most established festival audiences.