A bed racing team nearly crashes into the crowd last year during Moonlight Madness in downtown Skowhegan. This Moonlight Madness attraction is set for Friday, Aug. 2. Morning Sentinel file photo

SKOWHEGAN — This town’s celebration of life on the Kennebec River is back for another year.

Skowhegan’s annual River Fest, a multi-day celebration centered on the river that runs through the center of town, kicks off on Wednesday night and runs through Saturday.

Dan Burns creates a wooden sculpture with his chainsaw during last year’s Moonlight Madness in downtown Skowhegan. This year chainsaw carving will take place during Moonlight Madness set for 5-9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 2.

“River Fest is just one example of how we can activate our downtown assets around outdoor recreation and our river for community benefit and economic benefit,” said Kristina Cannon, president and CEO of Main Street Skowhegan, the nonprofit that organizes the event.

Organizers expect River Fest to draw at least 2,500 people to dozens of events and activities over three days, Cannon said.

The festival begins Wednesday night with the Glow Stick Paddle on the Kennebec River, organized by Skowhegan Outdoors, a program of Main Street Skowhegan.

Thursday’s lineup includes several events, capped off by a parade through downtown Skowhegan beginning at 6 p.m. The parade was added to River Fest last year for Skowhegan’s bicentennial celebration, Cannon said.

“It was such a hit last year,” Cannon said.

On Friday night, “Moonlight Madness,” River Fest’s annual street party, is set to feature a dunk tank, axe throwing, bed races, live music and a beer garden, among other activities. The River Days celebration on Saturday features many of the same activities and entertainment.

Kayakers paddle the Kennebec River through downtown Skowhegan last year during River Fest. This year’s event begins Wednesday and runs through Saturday. Morning Sentinel file photo

On both Friday and Saturday, Skowhegan Outdoors is offering inflatable kayaking trips down the river in downtown Skowhegan. The activity was so popular last year that organizers added a second day this year, Cannon said.

On Saturday night, the annual Dinner in the Park at Coburn Park will offer food and beverage from several local businesses. Tickets are required.

The festival ends with fireworks Saturday night at 9 p.m. The fireworks can be seen from downtown, The Eddy off U.S. Route 2, or the pedestrian bridge over the Kennebec River gorge. In case of inclement weather, the rain date is Sunday, Aug. 4.

The multiday event, Cannon said, is a reminder of a greater vision for Skowhegan: The planned, multimillion dollar River Park.

Supporters of the River Park, previously known as Run of River, have said the park is expected to draw outdoor recreation tourism to the Skowhegan region and contribute millions of dollars to the local economy.

When completed, the first phase of the park is to include the first artificial, adjustable whitewater wave feature in the region, a river access path and in-river debris removal, according to plans. Later phases of construction are expected to add more whitewater features for paddlers, a tubing channel, a trail system and other infrastructure.

Cannon said Tuesday that the riverfront development portion of the park is currently in the engineering phase.

The in-river whitewater park, meanwhile, remains in the permitting stage with the federal government. The permit process is expected to be completed later this year, according to Cannon.

That means construction is slated to start in spring 2025, Cannon said.

For a full River Fest schedule and more information about times and locations of events and activities, visit runofriver.org.