Merced River Fest Returns April 19 

April 15, 2025 – In a salute to stewards everywhere, the Upper Merced River Watershed Council will host the third annual MERCED RIVER FEST at The Grove House on Saturday, April 19, featuring a showing of the Wild and Scenic Film Festival.  

According to Watershed Director Kristina Rylands, “This year’s theme–FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS–looks to celebrate stewards of all ages, including our YOUTH!  As a Merced River Fest first, we will host a FREE youth film festival to announce the awards for the Mariposa County STUDENTS ON THE RIVER film contest and show eleven short films for all ages.”  

In addition to being a volunteer-raiser event, there will be an evening showing of the Wild & Scenic Film Festival. Seven selected films celebrate the inspiring work of everyday folks who rally others in support of solutions to create lasting change. From a duo whose band brings awareness of returning steelhead to a creek in Malibu, to people uniting generations to make the unthinkable happen in their communities, the films will bring cheers and possibly some tears.   

The program also celebrates the 2025 recipients of the Holly Warner Memorial Watershed Steward scholarship given to Mariposa County High School graduating seniors. As a co-founder and decades-long board member of the Watershed Council, Holly Warner was a tireless advocate for protecting the watershed. Selected scholarship recipients share Holly’s love for the watershed and plan to study environmental science in college. 

Held at The Grove House in Mariposa, the community is invited to join the Merced River Fest festivities: 

• FREE youth film festival from 2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.   
• A social hour gathering takes place from 5:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. where you can meet with new and old friends while learning more about how to volunteer with the Council.  
• The Wild & Scenic Film Festival program shows from 6:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
• Rounding out the River Fest fun will be a silent auction and door prizes. 

Tickets for the evening film program are $30 (plus fees). In-person program tickets include a video-on-demand link to view the films at home from April 19-25. If you are unable to make the event, you can purchase a video-on-demand ticket. Details can be found at: www.merced-river.org/events/mercedriverfest. 

This Merced River Fest event is made possible thanks to funding from the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Cooperative Watershed Management grant, as well as grant support from the Mariposa Arts Council and Mariposa County for the Students on the River film contest.  

Sponsors and donors to the Merced River Fest include Zephyr Whitewater, Tenaya Lodge, McGrath Arts, the Yosemite Bug, Mariposa Rotary, Casto Oaks, Mariposa Advanced Aesthetics, Yosemite Pilates, Raw Roots Farm, the Yosemite Conservancy, Yosemite Climbing Association, Little Shop of Ramen, The Local Grape, Sierra Sown, All Trade Construction, Mostly Sweet Jewelry, Smallcombe Jewelry Designs, Hannelore Fischer at Art Soul Journeys, Mariposa Flower Farm, Sticks Coffee, Chef Zachariah Reese, The Alley, artists Veronica Gross and Hannalore Fischer, Margarita King, Nick Warner & Selina Makana, Chris Swarth & Patricia Bacchetti. All proceeds benefit the Upper Merced River Watershed Council.   

The Wild & Scenic Film Festival was started in 2003 by the South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL, pronounced ‘circle’), a watershed advocacy group based in the Sierra foothills of Northern California. The festival’s namesake is in celebration of achieving Wild & Scenic status on 39 miles of the South Yuba River in 1999. The films illustrate not only the challenges facing the planet but the work communities are doing to protect the environment and the places they love.   

The Upper Merced River Watershed Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Mariposa County whose mission is to protect and enhance the Merced Wild & Scenic River and its watershed through education, stewardship, and partnership-based projects.  

To learn more, to volunteer, and to purchase tickets for the film festival, visit: www.merced-river.org. 

Stewards of all ages reinvigorate the Upper Merced River Watershed Council’s water quality monitoring program and help with river and roadside cleanups. Learn how to sign up at: www.merced-river.org/volunteer. 

Source & photo: Upper Merced River Watershed Council