Riverfest was founded in 1997 to educate the community about the recreational, educational, and esthetic value of the South River. Throughout the years, the downtown event has grown to be one of the largest festivals in Waynesboro as more programs, activities, exhibits are added - all of which challenge people of all ages to protect the environment and our own South River.

The South River has seen many exciting changes and developments since that first year: the City of Waynesboro built a greenway along the river, Trout Unlimited and the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries have established a destination trout fishery (with signs of natural reproduction occurring), and DuPont is actively remediating legacy contamination along the river.

Activities include Reptile World shows, presentations by the Wildlife Center of Virginia, Stream Safari exploration, Fish and Fun Rodeo, canoe rides, kids arts & crafts, interactive exhibits, and more. The day ends with the Great South River Duck Race!

Rain or Shine - No Pets Allowed

Riverfest welcomes environmentally-themed organizations and companies as exhibitors. There is no exhibit fee; exhibitors may not charge a fee for games and activities associated with their table. For more information, please email: [email protected]

Schedule of Events:

Program Schedule, Amphitheatre
9:30 am: Bird Walk along the Greenway

10:00 am: Tai Chi - Celebrate World Tai Chi day with a demonstration.

10:30 pm: Reptile World - See snakes and other live reptiles and learn about the important roles they play in our world.

12:30 pm: Wildlife Center of Virginia - Meet some of our non-releasable animal ambassadors, and discover how the Wildlife Center is carrying out its mission of conservation.

2:15 pm: Awards Ceremony for winners of the Riverfest Poster Contest.

2:45 pm: Reptile World - repeat performance

4:15 pm: The Great South River Duck Race

Riverside Chats schedule
10:15 am: Freshwater Fishes of South River with Paul Bugas

11:15 am: How Can We Help Protect Rivers? with Harvey Ussery

1:30 pm: Hiking & Traveling The Blue Ridge Parkway with Leonard M. Adkin

2:30 pm: Virginia's Mountain People with Lynn Coffey

Date: April 29, 2023

Location: Constitution Park, 215 West Main Street Waynesboro, VA 22980

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