The Gila Conservation Coalition presents this year’s Gila River Festival, Sept. 26 – 29, with the theme Protecting New Mexico’s Last Wild River: Charting the Path Ahead. As the year commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Gila Wilderness draws to a close, the Gila River Festival will not only celebrate this important milestone in protecting America's first Wilderness River, but will also look to the Gila’s future, by exploring themes of long-term protection, climate resilience, cultural exchange, and stewardship.