Thousands flock to Melksham for Food and River Festival

Melksham’s Food and River Festival brought the town to life over the weekend with a packed programme of food, music, entertainment and activities on and around the River Avon.

The 11th annual festival attracted around 5,000 visitors on Saturday 5th September and a further 4,000 on Sunday 6th September.

The free-to-enter event featured around 100 stalls and attractions, including locally produced food and drink, community groups and charities, live music, river-based activities and family entertainment.

Organiser Adrienne Westbrook said, “My highlight of the weekend was just the sheer number of people who came out and enjoyed the weekend. The positive comments back from the public have been wonderful.

“The sun shone and the weather was just what we ordered. The entertainment was superb, the food gorgeous and the variety of stalls on offer was huge. The river played its usual part in the success of the weekend, loads of people enjoyed the boat rides and many tried taster sessions in a kayak or on a paddle board. It was fantastic.”

The festival was opened on Saturday by Melksham Mayor Saffi Rabey, followed by a belly dancing performance by Wafaa and Dancing Flavours.

Live music over the weekend included performances by David Toya, Lindsay Moon, The Reason and Melksham Community Choir. On Sunday, visitors were also invited to take part in ‘bandeoke’, taking to the stage for live karaoke performances.

A line dancing performance also encouraged visitors to join in, while river activities organised by the Wilts & Berks Canal Trust and the Adventure Centre included boat rides, kayaking and paddleboarding.

Children were entertained by The Bubble Man, who created shapes from bubbles, alongside appearances from Paw Patrol characters Rubble, Chase and Sky.

The event also hosted Melksham Carnival’s Bonnie Baby competition and Melksham Town Council’s open garden presentations.