The Manawatū River Leaders’ Forum chair Richard Thompson said the festival was a celebration of the actions collectively taken to improve the river. The forum was started in 2010 and the accord was signed the same year, with the vision “if the water is healthy, the land and the people are nourished”. “The rejuvenated Foxton River Loop Reserve is a perfect example of one such project,” he said. “In all, there are 104 tasks identified by the accord to help improve the mauri (essence) of the Manawatū River Catchment. “The Accord was originally signed August 2010 in Foxton, so it’s fitting we host the festival here, sharing a day of community celebration.”