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A series of five free family events will be held on the banks of the Avon and Swan rivers in the first weekend of August as part of the Avon Descent celebrations.
Held from Northam to Bayswater, the events are full of fantastic activities, entertainment and food and provide great riverside viewing of all the race action.
On August 5, check out the Shire of Northam’s Avon River Festival.
Celebrate the excitement of Western Australia’s own unique sporting event with a street parade, rides and fireworks from 4pm-9pm at Bernard Park, Northam.
The Toodyay International Food Festival combines the thrill of the Avon Descent with delicious cuisine.
Live performances, fantastic food and activities for kids are all held from 10am-4pm, August 6, at Stirling and Duidgee Parks in Toodyay.
August 7 is a day of action.
Pack a picnic and cheer on competitors from any of the Town of Bassendean’s riverside reserves or join other spectators at Point Reserve from 11am–3pm.
Get up close to the action and enjoy live race commentary, free children’s activities, a junior sports expo and more at the City of Belmont’s Avon Descent Family Fun Day from 11.30am–3.30pm in Garvey Park, Ascot.
For all the finish line action, the City of Bayswater’s Finish Line Family Fun Day is the place to be.
There’s live race commentary, entertainment and family fun from 11am–5pm at Riverside Gardens in Bayswater.
The Avon Descent Family Fun Days are a collaborative effort between the Town of Bassendean, Cities of Bayswater and Belmont, the Shires of Northam and Toodyay and in partnership with the Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council (EMRC).
EMRC chief executive Peter Schneider said the events were a perfect example of the sporting and local communities coming together to celebrate the region’s Avon and Swan rivers.
“With a local focus this year and an all or nothing approach, I encourage all of the community to come out and support the competitors as they tackle this incredible challenge,” he said.
With five events spread along the 124km of river foreshore and a huge range of on-shore activities this is the best weekend to get outdoors with family and friends this winter.”
The events are proudly supported by Lotterywest.
Meanwhile, a brand new event will be held this Friday night at the Avon River Festival.
The Sport Discovery Zone will celebrate the Avon Descent, 2016 Olympics and National Science Week by bringing together hands-on fun, giveaways and health experts.
Following the success of the Flight Discovery Zone last year, this is the latest discovery initiative developed by Wheatbelt Science Hub Project Manager Rhiannon Bristow-Stagg.
“This free event has a lot to offer both locals and visitors,” Ms Bristow-Stagg said.
“We have some fantastic local health science professionals coming along, which demonstrates to young people the rewarding health science careers available locally.
"Several of them also grew up locally and have returned after completing their degrees.
"Then there’s also the hands-on fun, the educational element, and the unique concept of bringing these specialties under one roof.”
The marquee will feature an exercise physiologist, chiropractor, dietitian and a display on computer science in sport.
There are several activities to try including turning pedal power into electricity, plus food giveaways for the first 200 visitors.
The event has been made possible by Wheatbelt Science Hub (through Inspiring Australia), the Shire of Northam, Wheatbelt GP Network, Hansen Chiropractic, CorpFit and Woolworths Northam. It will be open this Friday from 4-8pm at the Avon River Festival.