Two rivers will be twinned at a festival this weekend.
Pershore River Festival will see the rivers Avon and Nene in Northants become “sister rivers” at 1pm on Saturday, July 18.
Mayor Julie Hemming will join with Mayor Craig Willcocks of Thrapston Town Council to sign a “Sister Rivers” Declaration recognising the importance of the rivers to the two towns.
The declaration will link the two rivers in a common purpose as both councils will pledge to take action to protect them from pollution, to protect their broader environment, and to protect all wildlife using them.
The ceremony takes place as part of Pershore River Festival, organised by Pershore Riverside Youth Centre, and supported by Avon Navigation Trust, The Bell Boat Regatta, and Pershore Football Club.
The festival takes place at Pershore Riverside Youth Centre and King George’s Field from 10am until 4pm.
This year it will focus on how people are able to take care of the Avon.
Ondine’s Odyssey, a project led by Moving Souls Dance and based on the legend, is winding its way down the length of the Avon this summer.
A sculpture made of sustainable materials and capturing the spirit of the river, it will arrive at the start of the festival.
This will kick off a number of workshops which will focus on the environment organised by the Avon Vale River Action Group and the Severn Trust.
Alongside the environmental theme, families and friends can enjoy a wide range of water and land-based activities, a full day programme of music, charity stalls, raffles and food and drink stalls.
Festival-goers can enjoy boat trips by the Avon Navigation Trust, canoeing, paddle boarding, and a bell-boat regatta, which will take place on the river in the morning.
Additional river-themed workshops will be organised by Drumlove and for the little ones, there will be bouncy castles and other fun activities.
The Riverside Centre Café, run by members of the Pershore Riverside Centre, will also be on hand serving homemade cakes.
