Canal Festival is sailing into town

Final preparations are being made ahead of the annual Canal Festival in Dewsbury this weekend.
Visitors enjoy one of the many free boat trips.Visitors enjoy one of the many free boat trips.
Visitors enjoy one of the many free boat trips.

Thousands of visitors are expected to flock to the town’s waterways for the free festival, which takes place on Saturday and Sunday.

It includes a host of rides and stalls, a hotly-contested boat-pulling competition as well as boat trips for visitors.

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The festival is being held from 10am-4pm at the weekend, at Savile Town Wharf, Mill Street East, Dewsbury.

Gordon Lambert, managing director of Calder Valley Marine, which organises the festival, said: “All the preparations are underway and we are really looking forward to it this year.

“There will be fairground rides and boat trips so lots for families to do, which is the who the festival is aimed at.”

On Saturday, visitors will be able to take part in a Tri-athlon event, which includes a mix of fun activities for families on the canal.

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And on Sunday stalls, boat trips and fairground attractions will be on offer for visitors.

Mr Lambert started the festival in the early 1990s.

He added: “I am very proud of how much the festival has grown over the years.

“We’ve gone from there to thousands of people coming now.”

Teams will compete against each other in the boat-pulling competition in front of crowds during the festival.

Special boat trips will be run by the Safe Anchor Trust charity, which is based nearby in Mirfield.

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