Edmonton, AB – With EPCOR RiverFest – and its signature float down the North Saskatchewan River – getting set to return this August, the River Valley Alliance (RVA) is pleased to announce it has contracted Northlands to support the festival as it gets bigger and better.
Launched in 2017, EPCOR RiverFest is the RVA’s signature annual event to showcase the many ways people can safely enjoy the river valley on land and water.
“Attendance is growing every year and that’s truly exciting because it demonstrates an appetite for connecting with the river valley – which is exactly what the River Valley Alliance and the festival are all about,” says RVA Executive Director Brent Collingwood.
“We’re blessed to have great festival partners like EPCOR, the Town of Devon and Parkland County and we’re thrilled to now bring Northlands aboard to add their extensive event expertise to the organizing team,” adds Collingwood. “Many hands working together can create great things and this collaboration will ensure we continue to offer an amazing river valley experience for our guests as EPCOR RiverFest evolves and expands into the future.”
In 2017 approximately 1,500 people floated down the river in rafts and Voyageur canoes. In 2018, that number increased to 2,400, despite the event being cancelled the second day due to weather.
This year’s EPCOR RiverFest event will take place in Edmonton and Devon on August 10 and the organizers are aiming to increase attendance again. In fact, they hope to essentially double it – and that’s where Northlands’ support and resources come in.
Northlands’ role will include project management, sponsorship activation, support for land and water activities, and volunteer management. It’s a role that’s intended to expand each year to align with the festival’s growth.
“We are excited to partner with our friends at EPCOR and River Valley Alliance to make this year’s EPCOR RiverFest the best ever,” says Kevin Gunderman, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Northlands. “Northlands is celebrating its 140th anniversary and is honoured to have been chosen to partner on this event and celebrate our world-class river valley. We look forward to many years of bringing the community together to enjoy a true jewel of our region.”
Northlands has experience in creating large-scale events and is looking forward to expanding its portfolio to include a partnership event with EPCOR and River Valley Alliance and to continue to grow EPCOR RiverFest each year.
Returning again this year as title sponsor, EPCOR is excited about what the added bandwidth of Northlands will bring to the festival experience.
“EPCOR is passionate about RiverFest. It provides people with an experience that allows them to enjoy the North Saskatchewan River, and better understand it and the important role it plays in our communities,” says Stuart Lee, EPCOR President & CEO. “Over the past two years, Edmontonians have responded enthusiastically to RiverFest, exceeding the expectations EPCOR and the River Valley Alliance had when we created the event. With Northlands coming on board, RiverFest can now expand to provide more people – young and old – with an engaging river valley park experience and a unique float down the river.”
Tickets for 2019 EPCOR RiverFest will go on sale in mid-June on epcorriverfest.ca.
See the full media release here.