Looking ahead to River Festival 2013

The last blast of summer funThey never thought it would get as big as it did, but Kilcullen's River Festival has now become the exclamation mark of the end of summer, writes Brian Byrne. Not just in Kilcullen, but for many families who come along from other parts of mid-Kildare.

The fourth festival is slated for Sunday 25 August and this year it will feature some interesting new attractions as well as bringing back regulars.

The new Chowder Competition is attracting strong competitive interest from restaurants throughout Kildare, not least because the winner will go forward to the National Chowder Cook-Off in Kinsale. The Kilcullen event will be located in the Heritage Centre, and tastings for adjudication will be free to all at the festival.

The Raft Race centerpiece of the river-based schedule has attracted even further interest for this year, with an expected 10 rafts currently entered. This will mean a staggered start system both for safety and entertainment reasons. The organisers have sent forms to all teams in a strict registration regime to comply with insurance requirements, and all participants are required to wear helmets and flotation vests.

This year the festival also 'gets wings'. Nope, no aerial stunts, but the Red Bull Minis will be in place and giving out free samples.

Other attractions will include the familiar food stalls operated by local cafes and restaurants, crafts and entertainment stalls, and the very popular Reptile Zoo. Local bands will again feature strongly in the event, in a programme of music organised by Jim Kelly.

The organisers have once again arranged for Kilcullen's Main Street to be closed to traffic from 12am on the day, and diversions will be in place for drivers who want to get around the town.

This article was first published on the Kilcullen Page of The Kildare Nationalist.