From cowboys to kayaks, from pirates to skiers, this year’s River Town Days will offer an array of activities.

The annual festival hosted by the City of Bainbridge, Decatur County, the Bainbridge-Decatur County Chamber of Commerce and a host of sponsors kicks off Friday with a free concert of the Wilson Dean Band from Tallahassee, Fla., followed by a Bainbridge favorite, the Kinchafoonee Cowboys.

The Wilson Dean Band, which plays a mix of rock, Southern rock and country, is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m., and the Kinchafoonee Cowboys will follow. The Kinchafoonee Cowboys are originally from Albany, Ga., near the Kinchafoonee Creek the band takes its name from.

River Rummage is back

On Saturday morning, May 7, the fun begins at 7 a.m., when the River Rummage booths open.

This year, the rummage will be shifted over closer to the Boat Basin, while the river bank will be left open for people to watch some new events.

For $25 individuals, church and school groups and civic organizations can set up for a great weekend of fund-raising.

“Prime Vendor” spaces will also be available for the first time this year. Seventy-five dollars will secure your prime vendor space in the middle of all the action. If you have high-end crafts or are a licensed business, this category is for you!

No controversial items or animals are allowed to be sold by any vendors.

“I think people who come to River Town Days will be pleased to see what we’ve done with our vendor booths this year,” said Kim Walden of the Bainbridge-Decatur County Chamber of Commerce and one of the festival’s organizers. “We’ve really focused from the start on encouraging our vendors to arrange some high-quality shopping experiences this year.”

Saturday’s packed full

“The pirate ship is all new and I guarantee that kids are going to have a blast on it,” Walden said.

A variety of kids’ activities will be going on all day, starting at 9 a.m. and ending at 3 p.m. Kids can enjoy the fun all day long with the purchase of a $5 armband. Armband activities include a trip aboard the pirate ship, catching a fish at the trout fishing pond, animal exhibits from Albany’s Parks at Chehaw and much more.

Favorite activities from prior River Town Days that will be returning this year include the rock climbing wall, a mechanical bull, a bounce house, obstacle course, a 40-foot-long slide, other rides, a petting zoo and ponies. There will also be a kids casting contest.

There will be a water skiing show in the Flint River at 1 p.m. and a boat parade at 2 p.m.

H2O Sports of Dothan, Ala., will be performing the water skiing show, which will feature talented skiers of all ages doing various stunts on the water.

A boat parade will leave from the Bainbridge Marina just prior to the 2 p.m. start time and will continue past the judging station at the Chamber and then past Cheney Griffin Park.

Entrants have the opportunity to win a $200 fuel card. Decorations aren’t a must, but the winner will be showing some serious spirit.

Another new event that should prove interesting will be a historical Civil War reenactment in the Boat Basin. 2011 marks the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War.

Kayak, raft races

Got a kayak? Head on down to the Boat Basin for the River Town Days Kayak Race. It’s free to enter and the first-place kayak wins $100.

The kayak race begins at 10 a.m.

Homemade self-propelled rafts will also be racing around the Boat Basin in this fun, annual event. It is also free to enter and the winning team wins $100!

The raft race begins at 11 a.m.

Applications and complete rules for both races are available from the Chamber of Commerce or on www.bainbridgegachamber.com.

Terms of participation require each race to have two or more entries.

Contact Adrienne Harrison at (229) 243-8555 if you are interested in having a team for either of these events. Contact Harrison and the Chamber of Commerce at 246-4774 for more information or to register for one or more of these events.