Excitement builds for Food and River Festival

EXCITEMENT is building for this year’s Melksham Food and River Festival – the first large event to be held in the town since the start of the pandemic last year. 

After over 17 months of cancellations and postponements, the community can finally look forward to an event packed full of fun for all the family. 

As well as the usual popular attractions – including food and drink stalls, cooking demonstrations and river boat cruises – festival organisers have planned some new attractions to entertain the crowds. 

Visitors to the two-day festival, which will be held in King George V Park on Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th September, can enjoy an introduction to paddleboards with demonstrations and fun taster sessions for anyone wanting to try on the river; and demonstrations from Wiltshire Search & Rescue. 

And as always, the festival will be supporting a number of local groups, who will have their own information stands at the event, including the town’s new group for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) community, Proud Melksham; and Melksham goes Wild, the new group that is helping to enhance and support the natural environment through ‘rewilding’. 

“Melksham Food and River Festival are really pleased to be able to support Melksham groups at the Festival,” said chair of the festival’s committee, Adrienne Westbrook. “Two new organisations Proud Melksham and Melksham goes Wild both have stalls at the event. Come along and talk to them about their plans.  

“Carnival are also joining us to promote next year’s event – I’m sure we will all be pleased to see the carnival back! 

“As well as these groups, we will also be supporting The Melksham Lions, Cancer Care, the Wiltshire Air Ambulance and RAFA. It’s a true celebration of community groups in Melksham. Charity stalls are available for free at the event.” 

About the new attractions at this year’s festival, Adrienne said, “This year, Phoenix Paddlesport are happy to offer an introduction to paddleboards, with demonstrations and fun taster sessions for anyone wanting to try.” 

A spokesperson for Phoenix Paddlesport adds, “We have all experienced a very strange period recently with our lives being turned upside down and personal choices being severely restricted.  The effect on our mental and physical health has been immense as we have been forced to re-evaluate our lives and adjust to the pandemic. 

“The unexpected benefit of this has been the rediscovery of simple pleasures and the beauty of the natural world around us.  For some, this may even be the first time that they have slowed their pace of life sufficiently to take notice. 

“It is a well-documented fact that being near water can have a beneficial effect on mental and physical wellbeing. The massive explosion of interest in paddleboards over the past year supports this view, as people are seeing new and accessible ways to have fun! 

“Inflatable stand-up paddleboards offer an ideal solution as they are inexpensive, easy to store and transport, and are a fantastic source of fun and relaxation for everyone. If you’re looking to escape from the stresses of life, there is no better way than taking a leisurely paddle down the river, at one with nature and slowing your rhythm to match your surroundings.  

“Equally, if you need an adrenaline fix, a fast-moving paddle down a stretch of rapids can provide all the challenges and thrills you seek. 

“Our aim at Phoenix Paddlesport, is to help paddleboarders to develop a deeper knowledge of this diverse sport, discover the joys of being at one with the natural environment, learn new skills and open up a whole new world of adventures. 

“Regardless of age or ability, paddleboarding is a wonderful way to relax, get fit, chill out, socialise and have fun. We would love to help you on your new journey. See you at the Food and River Festival and remember, if you’d like to have a go, bring a change of clothes and an old pair of trainers!” 

Wiltshire Search & Rescue (WilSAR) will be putting on two demonstrations on the Sunday.  

They say, “I am sure that you have all heard of mountain search and rescue teams, well Wiltshire has its own group of unsung heroes. They form part of a country-wide group of lowland search and rescue teams.  

“WilSAR have 70+ members, all of whom are volunteers. They responded to 165 requests for help in 2020, donating over 16,000 hours. 

“They exist to find vulnerable and missing persons and also respond to requests from the emergency services and local authorities. They receive no government funding, so are totally dependent on grants, donations and sponsorship to support their work.  

“WilSAR, in addition to the Sunday demonstrations, will also have a display gazebo on site both days, so why not take this opportunity to find out about other aspects of the work these volunteers undertake.” 

It is free to enter the Melksham Food and River Festival – it will be open to the public from 10am each day; closing at 6pm on Saturday and 4.30pm on Sunday.