River Festival Attracts Thousands

Thousands of people descended on Monkton Park at the weekend for the second Chippenham River festival.

 

Following the success of last year’s watery event around 5,000 people visitied the festival across Saturday and Sunday.

 

The River Festival aims to celebrate the river Avon and showcase all the activities people can do on and around it.

 

The weekend’s entertainment included river walks, raft racing, boat trips, canoeing and an open swim, which was popular when the sun showed its face.

 

On land there were inflatable zorb balls, a 50ft bungee cord trampoline and plenty of stalls and exhibitions from groups interested in the river and the environment.

 

And this year the team went one step further with some airborne entertainment when the parachute regiment’s Red Devils free fall display team dropped in.

 

Organiser John Clark said: “The aim is to celebrate the river as part of a vision for the town.

“It is so little used and appreciated. We want to show off all the exciting things that can be done along or around the river.

 

“We would love to get things like punting, boating and riverside cafés up and running in the future.

“Chippenham has almost forgotten it has a river.”

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