TASTER trips on a river ferry, and music and dancing on the green were all part of a new festival.
Around 2,700 people attended the free Tamar Valley River Festival in Calstock organised by the Tamara Landscape Partnership and staged by company PL1.
Highlights of the day included a parade of colourful flags, led by Calstock Samba Band from Calstock Station down the hill to the water. The large flags had been created by local schoolchildren as part of a national educational project on rivers and the environment.
On the village green were circus skills activities, stilt walkers, giant bubbles, morris dancing and music, with the rendition of a newly composed Tamar River shanty.
Artistic workshops involved people in painting, printing, and creating natural plaster casts, and the entries to a photographic competition were on display in the village hall.
The story of the Allis Shad and this creature’s journey to the sea was told in an interactive performance.
With the organisation Drip Drip Tamar there to share river sample findings, there was also the chance to explore underwater habitats using VR headsets.
Meanwhile, taster trips up and down the river in the soon-to-be-launched electric ferry service were fully subscribed all day. A trial of a paying service will begin in spring 2025 to see whether this ferry can become a viable business.
Partner organisations including the primary school, Tamar Grow Local and the National Trust were involved in staging the day, which had been planned with the support of the parish council over several months. However, a number of residents and those running groups and businesses felt that more could have been done to involve local people in both the planning and the communication of practical arrangements, for example around parking. Organisers say that they’re taking this feedback on board and will seek ideas directly from local people to make sure that next year’s event is improved.
Tamara Landscape Partnership Scheme manager Will Darwall said: “We’re delighted with the celebration of the Tamar Valley River Festival which was funded by the National Lottery through the Tamara Landscape Partnership Scheme.
“Parking was of course one of the biggest challenges given the location and the recent wet weather (no parking on fields) so we are very keen to hear about people’s experiences of the Park and Ride which we ran on the day – our impression is that it worked extremely well.
“Visitor numbers were good, people enjoyed themselves, the electric ferry was on display and enormously popular, and the weather was fantastic for us all. Our focus is now on reviewing feedback which we’ll consider should we run any future events, and we really appreciate the engagement and support we’ve received from the Calstock community.”
