The Historic Arkansas Riverwalk of Pueblo, also known as the Pueblo Riverwalk or HARP, is a 32-acre urban waterfront that features everything from gondola boat rides to food to festivals. The Pueblo Riverwalk returned the Arkansas River to its historic location at the heart of downtown Pueblo, after being diverted due to a flood that destroyed much of Pueblo.
Today, the Pueblo Riverwalk attracts residents based to a variety of events and activities that take place throughout the year, while visitors have numerous reasons to visit the shops and store that are spread across the area at different times of the year. All of this activity has allowed the Pueblo Riverwalk to transform the area and create a powerful legacy that is tied to the past and future of the city.
A Historic Location in the Heart of Downtown Pueblo
The Arkansas River has been the lifeblood of Pueblo for over 300 years. Native Americans followed the river for hunting and trapping while early settlers came as sheepherders and cattlemen. The nations of Mexico, Spain, France and the Republic of Texas all claimed ownership over the Arkansas River at the current location of the Riverwalk at some point in the recent past.
While the city grew throughout the 1800s, numerous floods negatively impacted that growth. None of them were as devastating as the Flood of 1921 though, which was the single most important event in the history of Pueblo. It destroyed Pueblo’s business and industrial district and resulted in over one hundred deaths. It was such a cataclysmic event that the river was diverted as a result of this flood.
In the early 1980s, citizens began discussing the possibility of developing a river walk where the Arkansas River originally ran. Plans and preparations for this initiative took place throughout the 1990s, and the groundbreaking for the HARP final took place in 1996. The grand opening celebration for Pueblo Riverwalk took place in 2000, which finally returned the Arkansas River to its historic location in the heart of downtown Pueblo.
The Pueblo Historic Flood Wall recounts much of this history, going all the way back to the Native Americans that camped along the riverbanks to through the grand opening celebration. That history is just part of the reason Pueblo Riverwalk has made such a powerful impact on the modern-day community.
Activities for Residents and Visitors
Gondola rides, pedal boat rides, paddeboats, kayaking, patio dinners, fitness events, farmers market and live music are just some of the activities that visitors can be part of on the Pueblo Riverwalk. Additionally, the Riverwalk Farmers Market provides visitors with farm fresh foods and crafts and takes place from the summer through the end of the fall every year, attracting audiences from all over. It’s one of the reasons that the attractions and elements of the Pueblo Riverwalk have become such an important part of visiting guides.
Residents have plenty to do and reasons to stop by as well though, as numerous restaurants and season shops provide them with options for any time of the year. These businesses range from popular chains to ones that are unique to Pueblo. Many of them are also involved with the events that take place from time to time, provided visitors with a specific reason to come to Pueblo.
All of this activity has created opportunities for the Pueblo Riverwalk itself to offer specific sponsorships that generate revenue. These campaigns are displayed throughout the area via numerous signs and posters that can be seen by everyone who visits the area. The duration of these campaigns varies depending on the type and time of year, but they’ve provided the Pueblo Riverwalk with a direct source of revenue that has helped keep the area maintained and directly enable expansion plans.
These activities and developments have allowed the Pueblo Riverwalk to become an important part of the culture and community of Pueblo as a whole. The positive influence of the Pueblo Riverwalk can be seen in multiple ways across the city.
Part of the Pueblo Community
The Pueblo Riverwalk connects to the natural area of the Arkansas River, where visitors can see numerous other pieces of art and history associated with the area. It also provides easy access to numerous areas of downtown Pueblo, allowing visitors to see and experience the entire city.
An interactive map details where over 50 pieces of art are located throughout the Pueblo Riverwalk. They range from figurative sculptures to a piece that incorporates part of the World Trade Center to an interactive fountain. Members of the community have been part of and contributed to many of these pieces, but community members also involved and memorialized with the Pueblo Riverwalk in other more direct ways.
The Pueblo Riverwalk exists on account of the generosity from countless large and small donors, and their efforts have been memorialized throughout the area. Numerous plaques and other dedications have become essential aspects of the Pueblo Riverwalk, showcasing the direct involvement of the community and celebrating precisely how they enabled it. Additionally, the Veteran’s Bridge has thousands of names of men and women from all five branches of the military on display, creating another important means of connection with the community that continues to grow and be expanded upon.
That growth isn’t limited to the names on these memorials and plaques though, as the Riverwalk District is a powerful vision to expand on the options and opportunities that the Pueblo Riverwalk created. Expansion plans include the construction of a new Riverwalk Boathouse, an outdoor amphitheater and more that will allow the area to serve as a major entertainment anchor to attract out-of-state visitors to Downtown Pueblo.
None of this would be possible without the Pueblo Riverwalk, which underscores the unique legacy it has created for the community to tie together the past and future of Pueblo.
A Legacy for Pueblo
Numerous parks have ways to memorialize community members that provide direct support, while the history of a particular area or region can be displayed in multiple ways. However, the way in which all of these elements and more to form a single monument at the Pueblo Riverwalk is especially unique. By reshaping the area to create a new icon for the community, doing so has created a powerful and lasting legacy for Pueblo.
