River Festival Weekend is Here!
So, River Festival Weekend has arrived. After numerous bouts of torrential rain this week, it appears that the weather may be ready to concede that it cannot defeat the Bedford River Festival, with the sun set to come out, particularly on Sunday. Both days will feature a huge range of activities for all the family, so do get along and enjoy the best of Bedford this weekend.
There will be huge number of local groups, charities, businesses, sports clubs and of course performers in attendance, and a vast array of entertainment on offer. The music stages kick off at 11am on Saturday morning, with the Carnival Parade setting off at midday as it travels from De Parys Avenue and down the High Street, then along the Embankment in front of the Castle Mound (I'm pleased it's coming back to the Embankment, after a number of years). The parade is sure to be as vibrant and colourful as ever, with a lot of work having gone into them. There really is a tremendous amount going on to enjoy, not least the spectacle of the demonstrations and races on the river, including the always-entertaining raft races on Sunday!
The raft-building and racing teams provide just one example of how so many people have put so much to ensure that the many thousands of visitors to Bedford over this weekend will have a great time, and all is set for a brilliant weekend. For the information you need for the weekend, including a downloadable timetable and map, click here
Also, those of you who are iphone users, make sure you download the first ever River Festival app!
In my monthly column for the Times and Citizen Newspaper, which was published in this week's edition, I wrote about the unique atmosphere of the River Festival and about a few of the many other exciting events taking place in Bedford Borough this summer. If you've not seen it, I've pasted it below:
Festivals and celebration events are coming thick and fast during this summer of 2012. Following the fantastic jubilee weekend and the Olympic Torch Relay, the River Festival is now upon us and is set to provide a great weekend of entertainment for people of all ages.
I can recall the River Festival in its early years when it was first held to mark the opening of a navigable route between Bedforda nd the sea, so I've seen it grow to become one of the biggest free family festivals inBritain. Yet it has retained its spirit as a genuine community event. This is thanks to the hard work, community spirit and sense of fun of the volunteers, sports clubs, community groups and many more who together help make the River Festival what it is.
When we first set the date of this year's River Festival, a number of eyebrows were raised due to its proximity to the Olympics. However, it has stayed firmly on course thanks to early preparation, including sourcing sufficient portaloos!
Of course we all hope for better weather this weekend. However, it really was remarkable how the rain didn't dampen spirits for the Olympic Torch Relay, with heaving pavements right along the route and a rapturous reception for the torchbearers. If the torch relay whetted your appetite, there will be more chances to share in the Olympic experience close to home in the form of the official Olympic 'Live Site' at Bedford International Athletics Stadium from 3rd to 9th August. This free festival of sport will include a big screen showing all of the action alongside opportunities to try out the excellent facilities at the stadium.
Another tremendous event taking place this Summer is of course Bedfringe, which is currently in full swing. We are extremely fortunate that the hard work of the Bedfringe team enables the festival to attract a wide range of high quality performing arts to Bedford. So let's hope that this and the other events in Bedford Borough this summer continue to be enjoyed by local residents and visitors alike in great numbers. And while we're at it, let's hope for some decent weather at last!