River Festival

The Downton Riverfest will be a series of events throughout 2024 to enable local businesses, charities and groups to work together to raise the funds they would usually make during the Downton Cuckoo Fair, which isn't happening this year.  The Riverfest is simply a platform to bring groups together to collaborate, avoid date clashes, and publicise the events to increase footfall. Local groups need to organise the events themselves.  After an enthusiastic first meeting with more than 50 attendees on 1 February, the community came together for the second Riverfest meeting on 29 February to discuss different groups’ ideas for events and demonstrate how to add events to the Riverfest calendar. Groups with ideas for events shared details, and others looking for events to join to raise funds were able to discuss how they could help.

Downton Riverfest now has a logo and a calendar showing the different events that will happen throughout the year. You can add your own event to the calendar or find out who is involved and how you can contact them to collaborate.

Ideas included:

• Adding more activities to the Easter Egg Hunt at The Moot on Monday 1 April, or joining a larger event there in the Summer

• Running joint events at the Memorial Hall, Millennium Green or The Bull Hotel

• Asking Downton Band, DADA, Forest School of Dance, or local Bell Ringers to add entertainment

• Asking The Scouts or local PTAs to provide refreshments

• Running guided walks, movie nights, craft fairs or car boot sales

Find all contact details here

The Downton Riverfest will have a stall at Seedy Sunday, 14:00-16:00 on 24 March at The Memorial Hall, where they will share more information. Interested groups are asked to add their events to the calendar so they can be communicated to the community and local media.

Email editor@indownton.org.uk with any questions.