Skip to content

Crowds Flock To Rhythm On The River

What started as a small celebration for the opening of Rogers Grove 22 years, brought thousands of Longmont locals together last Friday and Saturday, July 7-8 for the Rhythm on the River festival.

This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

What started as a small celebration for the opening of Rogers Grove 22 years, brought thousands of Longmont locals together last Friday and Saturday, July 7-8 for the Rhythm on the River festival.

Volunteers handing out free Longmont tap water (Longmont Observer/Lizzy Rogers)

Roger Jones had a dream for a park in the center of Longmont that everyone could enjoy. In 1995, the Jones family donated funds to the city for the purchase of the property adjacent to the Boulder County Fairgrounds. He and his wife also had a passion for music and art, hence the name Rhythm on the River. The event theme was created around the environment and the Jones's passions for the arts.

Crowds gather in large numbers under a sunny sky to enjoy all that was on offer at the free event this weekend. From the Outdoor Adventure Land with it's Kayak and paddle boards in a swimming pool, climbing wall, and high ropes course to arts and crafts for adults and wood working for kids with Home Depot sponsors, there was something for everyone.

The Burroughs front-man Johnny Burroughs entertaining the crowds (Longmont Observer/Lizzy Rogers)

Many local breweries, restaurants and food trucks supported the event with lots selling out before the end of the evening as a hungry crowd enjoyed all the choices on offer. Festival goers were entertained by a wide choice of live music on two stages from local Soul band The Burroughs, who had many up and dancing, to Wild Child, an American indie pop band from Austin, Texas.

Friday night saw energetic participants take part in the annual Roger’s River Run Greenway Glow 5K glow-in-the-dark race. Those feeling a little less energetic could let rubber ducks do the racing for them on Saturday in the annual St. Vrain Rotary Duck Race. Wes Parker from the Rotary club told the Longmont Observer this is the 18th year the duck race has taken place on the St. Vrain River to raise money for local charities. They released around 2,600 rubber ducks into the waters, all individually numbered, to race down the stream. The lucky winners of the top prizes were Ruth Stemler winning a first place prize of $2000, Rebecca Pitts winning $1000 and Clea Westphal winning $500.

Ducks being released (Longmont Observer/Lizzy Rogers)

Longmont’s signature event celebrating the environment, the community, art and music proved yet again to be a favourite with locals. You can see more photos from the event on our Facebook page.

Save