Children’s Water Festival
The goal of The Children’s Water Festival is to allow students to dive deeper into water-related issues facing the South Platte River Basin, where our food comes from, and to learn how to be better stewards of our natural resources.
2025 – 2026 Children’s Water Festival Dates
Spring Festival - Wednesday, May 13, 2026
9:30 am to 1:30 pm
University of Northern Colorado
McKee Hall - 1200 21st St, Greeley, CO
Fall Festival - Wednesday, September 30, 2026
9:30 am to 1:30 pm
Adams County Fairgrounds
9755 Henderson Road, Brighton, CO
The Central Colorado Water Conservancy District’s (CCWCD) oldest and most continuous education program is the Children’s Water Festival. First held in 1991, it is the second-oldest water festival in the country. CCWCD offers two festivals annually. The spring festival is held the first week in May at the Poudre Learning Center in Greeley, Colorado. The fall festival is held the second week of October at the South Platte Valley Historic Park in Fort Lupton, Colorado.
The festival provides a free, one-day adventure for 4th- and 5th-grade students in Adams, Morgan, and Weld Counties. Each festival attracts an average of 1,200 students each year, including public, private, and homeschool students. Focusing on water’s connection with all-natural resources and how it nourishes people through drinking water supplies and food production. Students learn concepts through hands-on activities, lively entertainment, and interactive displays.
Water professionals from around the state gather to support 4th- and 5th-grade students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) while meeting science academic standards and the Common Core State Standards. Classes rotate through six different stations, learning about a variety of water-related topics and conducting hands-on activities. Professionals with expertise in water and ecology-related science administer the stations. These activities are meant to introduce our community to the complex water issues facing our community and foster an appreciation for the value of water. There are representatives from Colorado State University, the Forest Service, the Foundation for Agriculture, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, the National Weather Service, White Water Canoe, Rocky Mountain Flycasters, and Metro Water Recovery, to name a few.
Numerous volunteers are needed every year to help run the festival. Volunteers from local businesses and organizations, including FFA Clubs, the Poudre Learning Center, Poudre Heritage Alliance, South Platte Valley Historic Society, the City of Brighton and Fort Lupton, and the City of Greeley, provide support for the festivals.
Festival organizers receive a huge helping hand each year from Colorado businesses and organizations that sponsor portions of the festival. These sponsorships not only help defray costs, but also allow classes to attend that otherwise would not be able to through a bus scholarship program.
Central staff will continue to look for new ways to keep the Children’s Water Festival fresh and exciting. To learn more about attending, presenting, sponsoring, or volunteering at the festival, contact Tammy Rusch at (970) 330-4540.
We appreciate your support!
Your sponsorship will provide a unique opportunity for 4th - and 5th-grade students in Adams, Morgan, and Weld Counties to participate in the festival's hands-on learning activities, as well as provide bus transportation to and from the festival for elementary schools with limited budgets. 100% of donations go directly to the festivals.
