Programs & Events – John Wesley Powell River History Museum

2025 River Runners Hall of Fame Wrap-Up

The 2025 River Runners Hall of Fame weekend in Green River, Utah, brought together the Colorado River community for a lively celebration of storytelling, history, and shared traditions. With peak desert autumn as a backdrop, the Museum honored inductees Bessie and Glen Hyde, Loie Belknap Evans and Buzz Belknap, Gary Nichols, and Brad Dimock—figures whose legacies span exploration, education, innovation, and inclusivity. The weekend featured films, talks, historic retrospectives, a volunteer beach cleanup, a creative boat parade, artist Dawn Kish’s gallery presentation, and the newly dedicated Loie Belknap Evans Opening Reception, all of which highlighted the interwoven histories and continuing evolution of the river-running world.

The main induction ceremony, moved to the Green River High School to accommodate an overflowing crowd, showcased heartfelt tributes that emphasized the inductees’ contributions to mapmaking, guidebook publishing, kayaking education, river conservation, and the preservation of river-running history. Mark your calendars for October 2-4, 2026 for our next event!

That's a Wrap! Celebrating the Success of our Summer 2025 Junior River Runners Program

By Candice Cravins

Can dinosaurs do yoga? Yes, yes they can! This was just one of the many questions we answered during our summer Junior River Runners program for kids ages 5-12. Each Tuesday afternoon from June 17 – July 22, a group of 15-20 Junior River Runners explored a wide variety of topics including geology, archaeology, botany, and physical fitness through engaging, hands-on activities. We created dinosaur “fossils,” designed our own clay pots, practiced nature journaling, tackled a cookie excavation as junior archaeologists, built river models, and so much more!

We had so much fun this summer that we will be back for more this fall! Stay tuned for more information regarding our after-school activities beginning in September. We’ll even have some virtual field trips and special guests joining us from near and far, so you won’t want to miss out!

A special thank-you to Zoe Gardner, Specialist at Epicenter, for providing assistance with the weekly programs. We could not have done it without you!