CROWDS of nearly 20,000 visitors and locals have been wowed by the first ever Wye Valley River Festival which went out in a blaze of glory this weekend with a breath-taking fire and flame finale. Around 90 people, including movers, shakers, organisers, participants, partners and helpers who had been involved in the two-week festival joined a torch-lit procession over the old Chepstow Bridge. Over the weekend, a series of other festival events provided an opportunity for communities and visitors to celebrate nature, culture, landscape and life along the River Wye in the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The two-week Wye Valley River Festival, which started in Hereford on Saturday 3rd May has recorded a series of firsts for the area: the first high wire walk across the River Wye, at Llandogo, the first organised swim on the stretch of river near Dixton Church in Monmouth, the first "Grand Assizes" to be held in Monmouth's Shire Hall since 1939, the first underwater cycle race in Hereford, and the first time there has been a trow on the River Wye in 150 years. The festival, which is intended to continue as a biennial event, was spearheaded by the Wye Valley AONB Partnership with support from the Arts Council in England and Wales and the AONB sustainable development fund. Several years in the planning, it brought together communities along the river to illuminate the history and magic of this landscape and the issues that threaten it. A narrative developed by the festival's artistic directors, Desperate Men, linked events together and told the story of Ratty the water vole, on the run from justice, who darted between flotillas, fire shows and festivities as he was pursued through riverside towns and villages to the final showdown in Chepstow. Andrew Blake, Wye Valley AONB officer, said: "This inaugural festival has been a spectacular success, made possible by the hard work and dedication of hundreds of organisers and volunteers in towns and villages along the Wye Valley from Hereford to Chepstow, the creative team and AONB staff. "We couldn't have done this without each and every one so, as a thank you, we invited them to take part in the final torch-lit procession in the closing hours of the event." A linked programme of community events continues until July. Mariana Art Gallery in St Briavels is putting on an art and photography exhibition entitled The River until Monday (26th May). From Saturday (24th May) until the 28th September, Chepstow Museum is staging the exhibition Sites of Inspiration. From Friday 6th June to Saturday 7th June, Redbrook hosts the Live on the Wye Music Festival and from Friday 18th July to Saturday 19th July there will be a Sacred Sight and Sound Festival in Tintern. For more details visit: http://www.wyeval">www.wyeval leyaonb.org.uk