Bedford River Festival expands for its 40th anniversary to include St Mary's Gardens

St Mary’s Gardens will host a stage, an arts and crafts marquee as well as a marquee for The Higgins Bedford. 
There will also be giant games and circus skills area, as well as an Adventure Village with a low rope course, bushcraft activities, and canoe trail.

This year the Festival, recognised as one of the largest outdoor events of its kind in the UK with more than a quarter of a quarter of a million people visitors, marks its 40th anniversary on Saturday and Sunday July 14 & 15,

As well events in the new area many of the old festival favourites are back for this year’s Festival with the Carnival Parade, the Dragonboat and Raft races, the boat parade,

music, a wide selection of food and drink, and Saturday night’s fireworks display.

Mayor Dave Hodgson said: “This year’s River Festival is fast approaching, and it’s exciting to see all the new events, stalls and entertainments that will be on St Mary’s

Gardens. This is a lovely and underused stretch of our riverside, and with the new Riverside Bedford development across the water I’m sure this will be a popular area

during the River Festival weekend.”