The Yarra River is a beloved centrepiece of Melbourne, so it makes perfect sense that there's a festival dedicated to celebrating it in all its glory.
After the success of its inaugural event, Birrarung Riverfest is returning for a second year, with three weeks of events that highlight the importance of our main waterway and all the things Melburnians love about it.
The festival will run from Sunday, September 1 to September 22 (which happens to be World Rivers Day), with events happening all across the 242 kilometre stretch of the river, from Westgate Park at its mouth to Warburton at its source.
Birrarung Riverfest is run by the Yarra Riverkeepers Association in collaboration with more than 24 local organisations, aiming to celebrate, raise awareness and connect our community to Country, and to each other.
Across the three weeks there'll be 30 community-led events, with most of them free to attend, including talks, exhibitions, guided nature walks, tours and more.
During the festival, you can go platypus spotting at dusk, learn how to identify bird calls, paddle a canoe while helping to clean up the river, and enjoy a sunset jazz session at Ponyfish island. Plus, you can see a floating art installation made up of 3,000 tennis balls made by a local artist who lives on a houseboat on the Yarra.
“The Birrarung catchment is responsible for 70 per cent of our drinking water and is absolutely vital to our social and economic wellbeing,” says Yarra Riverkeeper Association operations manager Carina Watson.
“When you get close to the river, or you get more involved, your appreciation for how wonderful it is grows. I hope attendees come away with a renewed appreciation for how special it is to have such a beautiful, natural feature in our city, and all the life and biodiversity that it supports.”
You can check out the full Birrarung Riverfest program and register for events on the website.