Free family waterway festival moves to May 2021
THE Wey & Arun Canal Trust will be hosting a free family festival over the early bank holiday in May 2021, after this year’s event was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The IWA Trailboat Festival South, celebrating the Wey & Arun Canal and its restoration, will see an array of trailboats from across the UK take to the water at the restored section at Dunsfold Park on the West Sussex/Surrey border.
Live music, stalls, food and activities on Saturday and Sunday, May 1-2 will add to the fun, with special public boat trips running across the weekend.
The festival is being organised jointly with IWA (Inland Waterways Association), a charity that works to protect and restore the country’s 6500 miles of canals and navigable rivers.
Postponing this year’s event was a huge disappointment to the organisers, but Wey & Arun Canal Trust chairman Sally Schupke said she was pleased the trust would host the event next year and get a chance to show off the restoration progress it has made and the benefits of bringing the canal back to life.
“It is great that new dates over the Early May bank holiday could be arranged and we can’t wait to get started on planning next year’s event, which promises to be a fabulous event for all, from boat lovers to canal enthusiasts and all the family.”
IWA national chairman Paul Rodgers said: “We are very much looking forward to being part of this event, particularly as our Waterway Recovery Group volunteers have been so involved in the regeneration of the canal. It’s been really exciting to see sections of the Wey & Arun Canal being restored and the festival is a fantastic way for communities to see some of the benefits of the project.”