Float your boat
Show your (free-)style or just chill at the Kowie River Festival
Ftogether amily fun on and Port sporting’action Alfred s Kowie will River come in the town’s inaugural Kowie River Festival. The event on December 28, held under the auspices of Sunshine Coast Tourism (SCT), incorporates the famous Kowie River Mile and the popular Anything That Floats (ATF).
Past years have seen swans, sharks and even sofas (all the blow-up floatable variety) sailing down the Kowie River in this colourful event.
This year’s ATF starts at Kiddies Beach at low tide, 10.30am.
The 1km (not one mile) swim starts at the Halyards Hotel at 3pm (follow Talk of the Town’s website and Facebook page where we’ll post registration details) and from 3pm to 8pm there’s live music on the water at Tash’s: bring your boat an listen from the water, or get yourself a table at Tash’s to listen to Candice Juhl and Joe van der Linden.
At 5pm, the National Sea Rescue Institute’s Port Alfred Station 11 members will conduct a training and rescue exercise.
Tickets for the Kowie River Festival are on sale at Sports ’n All, Sunshine Coast Spar, Pick n Pay and Tash’s Craft Bar.
Ed Gutsche, who together with Lauren Meyer works in SCT’s marketing, events and special projects portfolio, said they’d become aware that there was very little happening on the river during that period.
“Sunshine Coast Tourism has corporate sponsors who pay more for their membership than normal members. We’re funding the festival through a portion of those corporate memberships,” Gutsche told Talk of the Town.
“And we will still have funds for special projects next year.
“We plan to grow it bigger in 2024.”
All proceeds from the event would go to the NSRI, Gutsche said.
“We’re assured by the municipality that the river will be clean for the swim.
“And there are lots of prizes going: cash prizes for the men’s and women’s winners of the swim, and lots of others.”
The event’s sponsors and service providers, together with Sunshine Coast Tourism are Leach Pharmacy, BUCO, Tash’s, Harcourts, the Royal Alfred Marina, the Port Alfred River and Ski Boat Club, NSRI Port Alfred Station 11, Halyards Hotel and Spa, Kowie Toyota, Pam Golding Properties, Multi Security Services, Edge Financial Group, Sunshine Coast SPAR, Pick n Pay Port Alfred, StendenSA, Royal St Andrew’s Hotel.
We’re assured by the municipality that the river will be clean for the swim. And there are lots of prizes going: cash prizes for the men’s and women’s winners of the swim, and lots of others