THE inaugural Queanbeyan River Festival has been officially announced today by Mayor, Tim Overall.

The event, due to run on October 11, is intended to highlight the ways that locals can enjoy and utilise the river throughout the year.

Planned activities will include ‘build your own’ raft races, fishing workshops, come and try sessions for kayaks, stand up paddles and inflatable water balls on the river, an Aboriginal basket weaving workshop, a platypus walk on dusk, stalls, food and music.

An artistic feature of the event will be the Clearwater Sculpture Prize and exhibition, the first outdoor exhibition of its kind in Queanbeyan. The event will be held on the foreshore of the Queanbeyan River over three days and entrants are encouraged to take inspiration from the river and surrounds. The non-acquisitive Prize consists of a Major Award of $3,000, and a $1,000 Re- Use Award sponsored by South East Resource Recovery Group (SERRG), complemented by a handful of smaller awards. For more information call Georgina Perri on 6285 6170 or email culturalservices@qcc.nsw.gov.au

Cr Overall also launched four new walking brochures to encourage residents to explore Queanbeyan and exercise. The brochures are for Jerra Walk, Town Walk, Queanbeyan Playgrounds and the Queanbeyan Pram Walkers Walk and Talk brochure. Brochures are available from the Queanbeyan Library in Rutledge St.

For more information on the festival visit the Queanbeyan River Festival website.