Hit the water

Make a cool day of it on the river at the Cañon City Recreation and Park District's seventh annual Build Your Own Boat Race (ByOB Race) and Riverwalk Games on Saturday at Centennial Park in Cañon City. Events begin at 10 a.m., when co-ed teams compete in kickball, flag football, sand volleyball, horseshoes, dodge ball and the ByOB Race.

The race, beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the Centennial Park boat ramp, is a two-mile trip from Centennial Park to the Raynolds Bridge takeout. Spectators line the Riverwalk trail to watch the show as teams race their creative boats down the Arkansas River. John Howard and Canyon Rental have won the race the past four years.

The Royal Gorge Pro Race will be held in conjunction with this event for the first time.

This race is for professional teams only, and several are made up of raft guides in the region. It begins at 6 p.m. at the entrance to the Royal Gorge, and teams will race to the takeout at the Fourth Street Bridge in Cañon City. You can see the end of the race on the Centennial Park Footbridge.

Then it's on to the first Royal Gorge Whitewater Festival at Veteran's Park, 10:30 p.m.

You'll find a beer garden by Bristol Brewing Company and Coors Light, wine from the Winery at Holy Cross Abbey, food from Pizza Madness and barbecued beef and pork sandwiches, and plenty of free entertainment, including music by Grass It Up, Highside Command and headliner Martini Shot Band.

For more details about the race, games and festival, call 1-719-275-1578 or visit ccrec.org.

Solstice celebration

Enjoy a magical weekend of continuous entertainment, including dancing, music and Viking village re-enactments heralding the summer solstice, Saturday during the Scandinavian Midsummer Festival in Bond Park in the heart of Estes Park.

Signaling the beginning of the festival at 9:30 a.m. Saturday will be the raising of a traditional 20-foot-tall maypole, festooned with ribbons and live flowers, and encircled by dancers and musicians.

Throughout both days, dance performances include the Foresmans, Boulder Scandinavian Dancers, Lindsborg Folkdanslag, Mikko Kisi and Spelemannslag. The Foresmans will even teach you some simple dances.

The Fjellborg Viking Reenactors will demonstrate various Viking craft and combat skills in a tent village reminiscent of Viking days. Catch the open dance, led by the Boulder Scandinavian Dancers, at 8 p.m. Saturday evening.

The main festivities take place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days - and they're all free. Get all the details by visiting estesmid summer.com or by calling 1-970-577-9900.