Given the last few days thunderstorms, you’d be forgiven in thinking this was a celebration of the weather, but it’s not. The annual Reading Water Fest, takes place this weekend (saturday and sunday the 23rd and 24th of June 07 from 11am onwards) along Chestnut Walk, the Riverside Walk and up to the Bel and the Dragon restaurant in Reading.
The event, run by Reading Borough Council and the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust, is one of the town’s best-loved events, normally signaling that the internationally renowned Reading Festival and WOMAD are fast approaching, but obviously the council didn’t deem it important enough to grant or make the effort to give WOMAD more space, so it moved on..
The event winds its way through the abbey ruins, along Chestnut and Riverside Walks and ending up at Bel and the Dragon and the Riverside Museum. The event is a celebration of canal, and includes traditional music and dance in the Chapter House of the Abbey Ruins, as well as other entertainment throughout the Water Fest site throughout the day. Childrens activities and entertainment normally take place in the Abbey Ruins throughout the day,
Chestnut Walk is transformed into the Water Fest ‘craft avenue’ where you can browse among the hand-made products and take in the beautifully painted narrow boats along the towpath. later in the day there’s a boat parades along the river and a best-dressed boat competition, canoeing demonstrations, a duck race and a boat tug of war on the water too.
Proving it’s a nice day, its a great (and free!) day out in an area of Reading most people don’t see and some don’t even know exist!!
Technorati Tags: avon, belanddragon, berkshire, canal, freedaysout, kennet, narrowboats, publicevents, waterfest, reading, readingabbey
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