Programme of eventsevents

Events on the River: Saturday – Invensys Rail Raft Race

Last year, for the first time for nearly twenty years, raft racing was held on our river! 16 teams entered the raft race - generously sponsored by Invensys Rail, Chippenham’s major employer - and it was huge fun!

With this success in the bank, we are hoping for about 40 teams this year and they will run in heats and finals for most of Saturday after the Festival is opened by The Mayor of Chippenham at 10 am on Saturday 27th August. We are grateful to Invensys Rail who have again offered to sponsor this main event.

Teams of four or six are invited to take part and there will be different categories. The fee is just £10 per head. In addition you can raise sponsorship for your pub, club, school etc, or for your chosen charity.

Raft Racing

For safety, and to make the race fair but affordable for all, we have to have a strict set of rules, which must be followed, which will also make sure the environment is protected. These rules can be found here along with raft racing entry forms that can be found here.

Between heats, there will be boat trips on the river, courtesy of theWilts & Berks Canal Trust. A trip on the river is an unforgettable experience

Events on the River: Sunday – river action

On Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm, there will be a full programme of river events (subject to final availability):-

The Specsavers Swim - courtesy of the Outdoor Swimming Society. Those who took part in the 2010 event found it brilliant, and by the middle of March this year, nearly 50 swimmers had already signed up! This year the event will be divided into two - for faster and more leisurely swimmers - and we are hoping to offer a ‘quick dip’ for children. Keep an eye on booking arrangements on the web-site.
Rowing on the river. Eat your heart out Oxford and Cambridge! We will be demonstrating for the first time how the river is suitable for full sized rowing boat, courtesy of Bradford on Avon Rowing Club. This will be backed up by a rowing machine competition to find the iron man and iron lady (!) of the Festival!
Boat trips – two boats this year, courtesy of theWilts & Berks Canal Trust. A trip up and down the river is an unforgettable experience
Canoe races and demonstrations by the Sailing & Canoeing Club. This year we are offering ‘taster’ sessions for those who would like to try canoeing for the first time
Duck Racing is back! This year there will be a pub challenge as well as the sight of hundreds of ducks for the public race with a big prize.
Angling taster sessions. We are planning to arrange angling master classes by the Chippenham Angling Club

Events on the shore - Saturday & Sunday

There will be a full programme of activities on-shore between 10 am and 5 pm on Saturday 27th August, and between 11 am and 5 pm on Sunday 28th August (again subject to final availability):-

‘White Helmets’ motor-cycle display team from the British Army (Sunday, times to be announced)
RAF Regiment Unarmed Combat Display Team (Sat only)
Sailing dinghy exhibition – Sailing & Canoeing Club
Guided walks along the river - Riverscapes
Fun Water-walking
Bungee trampoline
Punch & Judy
Climbing Wall
Falconry display
Quad Bikes
Street artists
Picnic area
History and eco-zone centre
3-par, crazy golf, and putting competitions
Craft and local produce stalls
Hog-roast and other refreshments
Face painting, hair braiding