The 10th annual River City Roots Festival is next weekend, so it’s time to register for the four-mile fun run and the stand-up paddle board contest. Both races will be held on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2015 in Downtown Missoula.
The four-mile run will start at 9:30 am at the intersection of East Alder and Washington streets. The race will move east on Spruce Street, up Greenough Drive, around Greenough Park, return to Downtown to finish on the Riverfront Trail in Caras Park. Prizes will be awarded to the top six male and female finishers, and all runners age 21 and older will receive a complimentary cup, wristband and drink. Folks can register online for a cost of $30, which includes a Roots Fest technical shirt. The Roots Run is produced by Run Wild Missoula and sponsored by Runner’s Edge and Stockman Bank.
The stand-up paddle board contest will start at 10 am Saturday on the south side of the Clark Fork River near the Higgins Avenue Bridge. Paddlers can register online for the one-mile race or the five-mile race for a cost of $50 per race. The registration fee includes a long-sleeved technical shirt and a complimentary cup, wristband and drink. Both races will paddle from the vicinity of the Higgins Avenue Bridge to the Madison Street Bridge and back. The Roots Fest SUP Cup is sponsored by Bob Ward’s and Five on Black, and Bob Ward’s will offer the opportunity for folks to test out paddle boards from 2-4 pm.
This year’s Roots Fest will start on Friday, Aug. 28 at 11 am with the Juried Art Show and the Family Fun Festival in Caras Park. The Food Court and Beer Garden will open at high noon on Friday, and Music on Main will commence at 2:30 pm with the Dead Winter Carpenters.
The Friday lineup will also include Amanda Shaw and the Cute Guys, Clinton Fearon and the Boogie Brown Band, and Goose Creek Symphony. Friday night will also feature the Family Concert with Reverend Slanky in Caras Park from 6-10 pm.
Saturday’s Music on Main lineup includes The Whizpops, Two Bit Franks, The Lil’ Smokies, Hot Buttered Run, and Acoustic Syndicate. The Family Fun Fest will start Saturday at 9:30 am, and the Juried Art Show will commence at 11 am.
Roots Fest is the signature celebration of the city we live in and is admission-free, thanks to the 50+ businesses that sponsor the event. Major sponsors include the Missoulian, Big Sky Brewing Company, Good Food Store, First Interstate Bank and many more.
Roots Fest is produced by the Missoula Downtown Association in partnership with the City of Missoula, Run Wild Missoula and Climate Smart Missoula. For more information, visit The River City Roots Festival website.