2026 Willamette River Festival
August 22nd 10am-7pm | River Wood Beach (East Maurie Jacobs Park)
The Willamette River Festival is a one-day celebration of recreation and community directly on the banks of Oregon’s iconic river. This event is a collaborative passion project for a variety of organizations in the Eugene-Springfield area, and it provides an opportunity to connect new people to the river in an accessible and fun-filled setting. This year’s festival will feature both on-land and on-water activities, spirited paddling competitions, music, food, and more. We invite you to browse the tabs below to learn more about the River Fest — and we hope to see you out on the river on August 23rd!
The 2026 Willamette River Festival will take place at the River Wood Beach in Eugene, directly adjacent to the River House Outdoor Center. This crown-jewel of the Eugene parks system features a beautiful beach and a rolling lawn, and is located directly off of the riverfront bike path. The River Wood Beach provides direct access to a shallow and calm eddy on the Willamette River, making it the perfect spot for accessible river recreation!
Parking for the festival is available at the nearby School District 4J offices, the Maurie Jacobs Park parking lot off of Fir Lane, and the Valley River Center across the footbridge on the far side of the river.
The main festival area at River Wood Beach will feature a broad array of booths from local nonprofits, recreational groups, river outfitters, and vendors. We’ll have a central stage set up, with live music and presentations occurring throughout the course of the day. Free, drop-in activities will be occurring on the beach and in the water all day, including paddlecraft demos, on-water obstacle courses, and tree-climbing!
For those who wish to travel down the river in style, the festival will be kicking off with a group Paddle Parade — we invite you all to join us on the water at Alton Baker Park with as much flair as you like (boat decorations encouraged)! We will also be running guided whitewater rafting trips through the Willamette River rapids all day long (no experience necessary, but pre-registration is required).
The festival will also feature four different competitions open to all who wish to participate: an upstream attainment race, a stand-up paddleboard slalom course, a flatwater rodeo skill competition, and a river rescue challenge. We hope that these events will be a source of laughter and joy, but we also hope to put on a show with some intense competition! All competitions will begin from the River Wood Beach, preventing an opportunity for enjoyment to both competitors and spectators.
The final couple hours of the festival will feature an awards ceremony and a dance party in honor of the River House Outdoor Center’s 60th anniversary! We hope you’ll stay late and enjoy some good tunes with new friends.
Please note that this is a tentative schedule, and specific details may change.
9:00am – Paddle Parade Check-In Begins
11:00am – Paddle Parade, Festival Opening Ceremony, and Raft Trip #1
12:00pm – Upstream Attainment Race
1:00pm – Raft Trip #2 and Stand-up Paddleboard Slalom Race
2:00pm – Flatwater Rodeo Competition
3:00pm – Raft Trip #3
4:00pm – River Rescue Skills Competition
5:00pm – Raft Trip #4 and Kickoff of River House Anniversary Beach Party
6:00pm – Awards Ceremony
7:00pm – Conclusion of Event
