Richmond RiverFest 2025 opened in Ballina on World Rivers Day (Sunday, 28 September) with music, culture and community action.
The festival is presented by Richmond Riverkeeper and will run until 26 October.
Organisers say, ‘The festival now flows upstream, with more than a dozen events across the first two weeks of the festival’.
‘From Ballina to Kyogle, communities are coming together through art, culture, river restoration and conversation, all under the 2025 theme “From the Sea to the Source – the river connects us all.”’
Week one highlights
Week one highlights in Ballina included Welcome to Country, music by NIDALA, kids’ activities, weaving, workshops and the launch of the Tinny Expedition. At the Woodburn Riverside Festival (held on Saturday 27 September) it was a family fun day with music, markets and river health displays.
On Sunday 28 September, the Recovery for Rocky Creek event was held at Whian Whian), which was a community working bee to restore flood-damaged creeks.
Coming up
On Friday 3 October in Lismore, there will be a Wilsons River Seniors’ Nature Walk, which is a ‘gentle riverside walk and nature talk’.
A ‘riparian restoration workshop’ will be held Sunday 5 October at Bentley, which will provide practical guidance for landholders on riverbank care.
Again on Sunday 5 October, a ‘river touching workshop’ will be held in Ballina, where artist Annique Goldenberg will lead a creative connection with the river.
The Tinny Expedition – Sea to Source
Two river champions, Graeme Gibson and Steve Posselt, are travelling by tinnie from Ballina to Kyogle, hosting forums and river yarns in towns along the way. Their journey is sparking conversations about restoring the Richmond River to a drinkable, swimmable, fishable future. The Kyogle community forum is Tuesday 7 October, and the Casino community forum is Tuesday 14 October.
A Kyogle forum on Tuesday 14 October will be ‘A chance for the community to hear updates, share ideas and commit to river health’.
Organisers say there will be youth and schools activities throughout the week, which will, ‘engaging the next generation of riverkeepers’.
Landcare and community planting days will provide a ‘hands-on restoration events across the upper catchment.
Cultural and arts workshops will ‘explore how stories, weaving and art connect us to the river’.
Richmond Riverkeeper spokesperson Kristin den Exter said, ‘The first two weeks of RiverFest show the diversity of our community’s love for the river – from kids’ art and music to hands-on restoration and deep conversations about the future of the catchment. The Tinny Expedition is a powerful reminder that the river connects us all, sea to source.’
For full program visit www.richmondriverfest.com.
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