WET and wild fun is on its way to Chippenham this summer with an exciting festival aimed at making the most of the river Avon.

The event, which is set to go ahead over the August Bank Holiday weekend,  is being hailed by its organisers as the biggest family fun day to hit the town in decades, and is expected to attract thousands of people.

New ChAPTER, a branch of the Chippenham and Villages Area Partnership (ChAP), decided to organise the innovative day to raise the profile of the river, after several surveys of townspeople outlined the Avon as Chippenham’s most under-promoted asset.

Now, with funding from Wiltshire Council and sponsorship from local businesses, the partnership believes that the river should become the focal point of the town, and be used for both educational and entertainment purposes.

New ChAPTER Chairman and organiser of the festival John Clark said: “We need to make the most of Chippenham, and what's it got? It's got a great river, but nobody seems to know it's there!

"Most of the shops and houses in the town back onto it, so it's just getting ignored.

"The river festival is about fun and community, but part of it is to remind the town about the river and the many things to do and see on it. After all, it's the reason Chippenham settled here thousands of years ago."

The River Festival organisers hope to entertain people over the weekend with water-based events along a stretch of the river in Monkton Park.

Entry will be free and with activities such as Dragon Boat racing, raft races, swimming, canoes, a duck race, and a fancy dress boat parade, there's sure to be something for all ages.

And for Land Lubbers there will be plenty of entertainment off the water, including live music, sailing dinghy park, guided walks along the river, cycle hire, craft stalls, street artists, a mobile skate park, adrenalin zone and much more.

Mr Clark added: "What we are doing is part of a master plan to put Chippenham back on the map. Government plans up to 2026 outline Chippenham as the centre for North Wiltshire's economic growth and facilities.

"So New ChAPTER and the Vision Board are trying to improve the retail and leisure offering in the town to attract people to use Chippenham as a tourist hub from which to explore surrounding areas like Bath and Castle Combe.

Mr Clark and his team have also enlisted the help of Yatton Keynell based events management company Planet Gold to ensure the weekend runs smoothly and professionally.

The organisers hope that if the weekend is a success it will become an annual event.

“When you say 2026, people tend to lose interest so that’s why we’re doing it in stages. There’s so much to be done, and this is really just the beginning,” added Mr Clark.

He also stressed that members of the community should get in touch with the festival committee if they can offer support in any way. They would also welcome support in raising more funds through sponsorship.

For information and to get involved email info@chap-partnership.co.uk or go to http://www.visit-chippenham-area.co.uk">http://www.chap-partnership.co.uk/" target=_blank>http://www.chap-partnership.co.uk/