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Celebrate 25 Years of Maidstone River Park

Join us in marking the 25th anniversary of Maidstone River Park with a fantastic programme of events celebrating the park, the River Medway and the wonderful green spaces at the heart of our borough

Find Your Creative Flow: Sketch & Cruise

Thursday 18 June, from 5:30pm

Join naturalist, zine-maker and designer, Zabby Allen, for a Sketch & Cruise event on Maidstone's iconic Kentish Lady

Bloco Fogo Summer Picnic at Whatman Park

Saturday 20 June, from 1pm

Come and enjoy a laid-back afternoon with friends and family. Expect the usual heavy Samba Reggae beats, high energy and that infectious spirit that’s impossible not to dance to. They'll be taking over the Riverstage to bring a bit of Bahia to the park.

River Medway Guided Walks

Tuesday 7 & 14 July, from 10am 

Enjoy a leisurely guided walk with the Medway Valley Countryside Partnership exploring the beauty and nature to be found along the River Medway. 

Silver Jubilee Maidstone River Park Run

Saturday 11 July, from 9am

Join us as we set off from Kent Life for our special 'Silver Jubilee Run' 

Pond Dipping at Whatman Park 

Saturday 11 July, from 10am 

River Park 25th Anniversary Exhibition at Creative Maidstone

Sat 11 July to 1 August

This special exhibition celebrates 25 years of the Maidstone River Park and includes both original artworks and photographs along wtih archive images reflecting life and work along the River Medway in Maidstone.

Creative Maidstone is inviting artists, makers, creative practitioners and members of the public to submit work for the exhibition until Friday 19 June, click here to find out more!

Evening Bat & Glow Worm Walk at Whatman Park

Wednesday 15 July, from 8:30pm

Come and enjoy a guided walk around Whatman Park as the sun goes down. Using specialist detectors, we'll look for bats as they come out to feed, and also for glow-worms. 

Maidstone River Park Silver Celebration at Whatman Park

Saturday 18 July, from 2pm

Enjoy a FREE family-friendly event, bring a picnic and enjoy live entertainment on the Riverstage 

Annual Butterfly Count at Whatman Park

Sunday 19 July, from 10am

Join the Friends of Whatman Park in their annual Butterfly Count.

Maidstone River Festival

Saturday 25 July

Returning this summer with a silver theme, enjoy raft racing, live entertainment and lots more!

Maidstone Autumn Small Boats Head

Sunday 18 October, from 9am

Enjoy a timetrial competition for racing rowing boats, held on the River Medway between Allington Marina and the centre of Maidstone.

About Maidstone River Park

Maidstone River Park was one of a lasting legacy of projects, funded in part by the National Lottery, to celebrate the new Millennium. It turned the banks of this important natural resource into a 12km linear park with free access for everyone. The Millennium project introduced three nationally acclaimed pedestrian bridges, more than 1,500 new trees and, in Maidstone, a rose trail and an amphitheatre.

The River Park project started in 1998 and was completed in 2001, after some of the worst floods in living memory. It would not have been realised without the substantial support of the Millennium Commission, Maidstone Borough Council, Kent County Council, the Environment Agency, the Maidstone Trust and numerous companies, trusts, schools, clubs and individuals throughout Kent.

Maidstone River Park was the largest Millennium project in the south-east, outside of London. The 25th anniversary in 2026 provides an opportunity to rediscover the river park and celebrate the project’s legacy, bringing together the community that helped to create it all those years ago. 

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