St. Croix RiverFest

Mark your calendar for RiverFest on July 22-25. Hudson will celebrate the St. Croix River with this annual summer “Party with a Purpose” with activities designed to inspire people of all ages to actively celebrate the river while recognizing the need to preserve and protect the river’s health and beauty.

This year’s event schedule starts on Wednesday, July 22 and includes a river cleanup and refashioning RiverFest mascot Scrappy, Carpenter Nature Center program, Hudson Area Public Library activities, MN DNR invasive species control demonstration, National Park Service mussel rehabilitation and History Hot Spot tours of the Birkmose Mounds.

Thursday’s schedule includes more library programs and St. Croix Valley Community Band concert including RiverFest partner display booths at Lakefront Park.

Friday kicks off with paddling the Willow River, a library program about microplastics, the Pop-Up Players Street Water Show for children and the event favorite RiverFest family movie night.

Native American programming fills the Saturday schedule with bison viewing at Belwin Conservancy and Indigenous art, culinary and history offerings throughout downtown Hudson. Dakota/Lakota and Ojibwe culture will be highlighted with poetry, singing and dancing at the Lakefront Park Bandshell from 1 to 4 pm. Pow-wow food will be for sale along with Native American books, arts and crafts. Belwin Conservancy will have a display about their prairie restoration with a summertime bison herd plus bison brats and jerky will be available for tasting.

St. Croix RiverFest is a partnership including the Hudson Daybreak Rotary to celebrate the community’s St. Croix River awareness. View event details at StCroixRiverFest.org.