Rockhampton River Festival celebration brings community togethe
Published on 02 November 2021
The Rockhampton River Festival continues its success story as one of the Region’s most popular community events after drawing huge crowds over the weekend through art, culture, entertainment and dining experiences.
Rockhampton Region Mayor Tony Williams said the Festival, now in its 6th year, was a fantastic way to round out the year.
“After what feels like a long time ago that we held our last River Festival, it was wonderful to see our Riverside alive with music, arts and markets, but most importantly, it was just great to see our community coming together,” Mayor Williams said.
“It is the uniqueness of each and every River Festival that has grown the reputation of this event, and so a huge thank you goes to Council staff, our local businesses and of course our major sponsor Bravus and other event sponsors for making the event a great success.”
Residents and visitors were treated to a fantastic program, with two stages well located on the banks of the Fitzroy River, showing off headline acts like Sneaky Sound System and The Dreggs alongside some great local talent like Silky Fuzz and Side Hustle.
The Wheel of Oz Ferris Wheel was a highlight as well as ERTH’s Dinosaur Zoo, River Fish workshops and nightly fireworks.
Advance Rockhampton Executive Manager Greg Bowden said it was positive to see elements of cancelled local events make an appearance in this year’s festival program as well as new pop up events.
“Though cancelled earlier in the year due to ongoing Covid-19 restrictions, the addition of Capricon to this year’s River Festival program saw an influx of cosplay characters venture into Quay lane and the Walter Reid Cultural Centre,” Mr Bowden said.
“Bearded Bingo was a new addition to this year’s program and proved a treat for those who attended with laughs all round across the three fully booked out shows.
“It was also great to see local businesses getting involved with aligned events like local artist in residence, Laura Crane’s exhibition currently at Headricks Lane. Laura was seen floating throughout the festival painting the river, our heritage buildings and surrounds throughout the weekend.
“This event just like Rockynats and Beef 2021 has not gone un-noticed by people residing in South East Queensland and across the country as we continue to be able to organise and celebrate large gatherings in Rockhampton for our community and visitors.”
The Queensland Government is proud to support the Rockhampton River Festival through Tourism and Events Queensland’s Destination Events Program and it is a feature on the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar.
Thank you to our sponsors Bravus Mining and Resources, Tourism and Events Queensland, Acciona, Fitzroy Partnership for River Health, Mr Real Estate, Rookwood Weir, Stanwell, CQ Today, WIN Network, Triple M and 4RO.