Proposed new ‘RiverBeat’ festival invites public to get involved

Elana Winkler of the Waltham Chamber of Commerce has a dream to launch a new, river-focused festival following the demise of the much-loved Riverfest. She is calling it RiverBeat, and she knows it will take a village — or a small city — to make it float. That’s why she’s inviting the public to attend meetings this October to share ideas and recruit helpers. 

The meetings are scheduled on three Saturdays, Oct. 4, 11 and 18, from 1 to 2 p.m. at the Waltham Public Library’s lecture hall. People can choose one date that works for their schedule.

“The hope is threefold: to create a day with lots of activities to do on, around and near the Charles River, to highlight the multiculturalism that makes our city wonderful and to spotlight local artists,” she wrote in an email shared with The Waltham Times. 

A number of local organizations have expressed interest. “I have partnerships lined up with Charles River Canoe and Kayak, Waltham Land Trust, the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association, Norumbega Chapter and the Charles River Collaboratory to create activities on and around the river,” Winkler said. “I have reached out to both scouting organizations, Bike Together Waltham and Rotary Club to create more partnerships.”

“We currently have a lot of great ideas, quite a few challenges and the need for sponsors and organizational help,” Winkler said. “It takes a dedicated core group of volunteers to make a festival like this happen over a nine-month period. Additionally, it takes a small army of volunteers on the day of the event to have everything go smoothly. I know because I’ve worked on the Watch City Steampunk Festival’s executive committee since 2015.”