Derby River will once again be awash with a raft of inflatable boats as North East Rivers Festival officially launches its festival.
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The 2017 festival celebrates its 10 year anniversary, with a fishing competition, school fair, feasts and a fun run.
The festival kicks off on October 20 and runs until October 29 with 12 events across the north-east of the state including the 41st Derby River Derby, which creates inflatable raft mayhem as teams compete for $10,000.
Festival chairwoman Maxine Mullins said the festival attracted a lot of people to the north-east of the state.
It boosted business in the north-eastern towns and helped showcase regional sporting clubs and different groups at the different events, Ms Mullins said.
The main committee of three set up the festival with help from other volunteers and a local school, she said.
Winnaleah High School student Chloe Perry, 16, said being involved in organising the event helped the school get to know their community better.
She encouraged people to come and see the different events during the festival.
“It’s amazing,” Chloe said.
Winnaleah High School student James Radford, 15, has been helping out the Raft Run Ride as part of his outdoor education class.
“It’s exciting being able to organise a successful event,” James said.
Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie spoke at the launch of the festival on Monday, thanking all of the volunteers for their hardwork.
Festivals were a “real morale booster” for rural and regional communities, Senator Lambie said.