Organisers of the third annual Northwich River Festival, which was held in the town on Saturday 13th and Sunday 14th July 2019, have declared the event to be yet another resounding success.
The number of entries for The Mighty River Weaver Dragon Boat Challenge, at 22 teams, was the largest so far; the number of tickets purchased for the Famous Ducks on The Dane Charity Duck Race outstripped previous years, and visitor numbers were estimated to be far greater than last year’s.
The Chair of Northwich Rotary Club’s River Festival committee said; “With money still to come in and bills to be settled, it’s too early to say for sure, but the feeling is that we will have smashed last year’s fundraising effort, as well as raising the profile of the town even more.
“We know for certain that there were families from Northern Ireland, Surrey, Lancashire and Yorkshire who had made the journey to Northwich especially for the event, so we hope that the town’s traders will recognise that fact and get behind us even more for future years.
In an exciting final, the Dragon Boat racing was won by the team from Morrison’s Gadbrook Produce – “Morribobbers”. Gadbrook Park’s Concise Technologies’ team, “iPadlers”, came second and also took the crown for the fastest time of the day in the heats – 56.12 seconds. Davenham Cricket Club’s “DCC Dragons” took third place.
Sunday saw Mid Cheshire Scouts in action in the morning in their Weaver River Races, with 1st Moulton victorious in their races, and Ultimate Fitness Cheshire’s Gym Rats took home the prize in the Rotary Raft the River Race in the afternoon.
Winners of the Duck Race are available to view on the Festival’s website: northwichriverfestival.org.uk, and the draw to see who has won a week’s Eurocamp holiday or one of the other Lucky Programme prizes will be held in September.
Also entertaining the crowds were the Liverpool Pirate Brethren, Mid Cheshire Stand-up Paddleboarders and Canis Major Newfoundland Dog Water Rescue Team.
Live music and street theatre was also on offer alongside a multitude of charity and trade stalls, while visitors were able to take a River Trip aboard a choice of two narrowboats.
Even the iconic Town Bridge got in on the action, being illuminated in the evenings throughout the event.
Plans for next year’s Northwich River Festival 2020, which will be held on Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th July, will be announced soon.
