The rivers are running full! Summer is almost here!!! The 19th Annual Bandera Riverfest – the Ultimate Riverside Picnic, is gearing up! Check out one Bandera’s best assets – the beautiful Medina River. Bandera Riverfest, well known as the Ultimate Riverside Picnic, keeps growing and has everything from water games, music, hot dog & watermelon eating contests, car show, arts and crafts, and a Bandera Idol competition. And what do you do at a picnic? Your Bar B Que! Our Lone Star BBQ Cook-off has grown so much that this year we are offering a guaranteed $10,000 pay out! Join us on Saturday, June 25th, for the best riverside picnic ever!
This is Bandera, Cowboy Capital of the World! Of course we have a rodeo! A River Rodeo! See if you can stay on our special broncs “Goodyear” or “Firestone”! Bet you can’t make 8 seconds! RiverFest has always been about the river, so wear your river shoes and swim suit. We will also have kayak races and a river rescue race. It is easy to enter and does not require any special equipment (Bandera River Yacht Club provides the tubes and kayaks!). There is no entry fee for this event either!
You can also join in by entering the “Anything That Floats Regatta.” That means every merchant in town, every sailor worth his salt, and every character (and Bandera has never been at a loss for those!) that ever walked the streets of Bandera and surrounding towns needs to get busy preparing their entry for this most unlikely of river parades! There is no entry fee, and there are no rules except that your entry must float, so decorate up your best row boat, kayak, inner tube, raft, tractor tire tube, stryo-packing material…well you get the picture. If it floats, it can be in the parade. We will even allow trolling motors for those not wanting to paddle the river! We have had some great entries in the past so - Get busy! And you could win money too! $200 to the winner of these categories: Best Nonprofit, Best Business, Best Individual or Family entries. Have some fun and maybe win some cash!
If you are more of a beach lover, no worries, the Bandera Coastline – graciously donated by Bandera Rock & Road, will be the perfect place for you to unwind! So come on down for some fun, sun, & sand! YES we said SAND and we’ve got LOTS of it! We’ve got it all, minus the crabs! With or without the kids, building sandcastles is a fun way to spend the day! So grab a shovel and bucket and be as creative as you can! For the kids we have a giant slip and slide!
At Riverfest there is something for everyone! Besides the games for the kids, there are Arts and Crafts for Mom, great food and drink for the family and our Open Car Show for Dad. Mixed in is the Lone Star BBQ Society’s sanctioned Bar-b-que Cook-off and the finals of the Bandera Idol Competition. And there is music! Did we mention the music? Besides the Bandera Idol competition we have some of the best bands and entertainers around. Come sit in the shade, drink a beer, margarita or lemonade, bring the kids and enjoy.
There is no way you could find a better day at the river than Bandera Riverfest. Gates open at 10:00 am and tickets are $10.00 for adults, Seniors 55 and older are $5.00 . Children 12 and under are free and active Military with I.D. are also free. All riverside games and water activities are absolutely free! For more information, visit www.BanderaRiverFest.com or call 830-796-4447.
