Riverfest in La Crosse opens for the 42nd year

La Crosse’s big summer festival is now open, and runs through Saturday.

Riverfest for 2025 opened Wednesday morning with the flag-raising ceremony at Riverside Park. This year’s Commodore, Dustin Luecke, welcomed visitors to the riverfront celebration. The Channel 19 news anchor remarked that his first assignment for the local TV station 15 years ago was to cover Riverfest, and now he has come full circle by heading the festival as the 2025 Commodore.

It’s the first Riverfest since Shaundel Washington Spivey was elected mayor of La Crosse in April. The mayor remarked on how long the city has observed Riverfest, since 1983. “Forty-two years of us recognizing our river, recognizing our parks,” said Washington Spivey. “Forty-two years of businesses coming together, to say this is a great community, and we want to celebrate” on the national day of independence.

The opening ceremony traditionally includes a recognition of military service in American history. Navy veteran Commander Samuel Bernhardt, who is chief engineer at Brennan Marine in La Crosse, also spoke at the ceremony, saying that Americans should remember the warriors in our nation who have fought off evils.

“The best way to honor freedom, and those that have given us this freedom, and the millions and millions who have protected us is to take a few minutes this day and reflect on that, and commit this and every Independence Day to steadfastly preserve the gift we were given,” said Bernhardt. He urged the audience to read the Declaration of Independence, and reflect on the country’s fight to become independent from England.

The four-day festival is expected to proceed as planned, compared to last year, when high water reached into Riverside Park, and events on the water had to be cancelled. The River City Water Skiers have ski shows set for July 4th and 5th. The fireworks on the river will happen shortly after 9:30 Friday night.