Have fun splashing around as the annual River Festival returns to Maidstone this month.

The free festival, which is organised, funded and run by local volunteers, has been running along the River Medway for 40 years.

The Maidstone River Festival will see boats from the nearby towns and further afield visiting the county town, dressed up in festival pageantry.

The boats will then be illuminated in the evening to light up the river in a captivating display.

During the day, there will be a number of family activities, games and performances at Lockmeadow town square.

The festival will open on the river at 12pm and there will be plenty of community events by the river, including the afternoon raft race.

The raft race has been a staple of the River Festival for years. The event sees groups race their own unique self-made rafts along the water in a bid to reach the finish line first, with spectators cheering from the riverside.

The raft race will take place at the High Level Bridge at 2.30pm.

Finally, the evening will finish off with a bang with a spectacular firework display from the roof of the Fremlin Walk shopping centre.

The shopping centre and surrounding area will also be open during the day so visitors can pay a visit to Maidstone’s shops, bars and restaurants as they enjoy the festival.

Those behind the community event hope it will promote the town and river park.

The Maidstone River Festival takes place on the River Medway and in Maidstone town centre on Saturday, July 30 from 12pm to 10pm. This event is free and no booking is needed. Find out more information here.