THE final touches are being added to parade floats and final rehearsals are under way for the annual Riverstone Festival on May 16.
"The festival is a promotion for Riverstone as well as a good, fun day," festival committee's president Phyllis McAlpine said.
There will be performances on the main stage, rides, antique vehicles, art show and a street parade at 11am, when community groups compete for Best-in-Parade.
Entertainment includes performances by local singers, dance groups and school choirs.
"The people of Riverstone feel like they own it."
There will be jewellery, clothing and other stalls, as well as food choices from German burgers and gozleme to pofferjtes and a sausage sizzle.
Mrs McAlpine said the festival began in 2000 as a one-off to help support the Riverstone Chamber of Commerce as part of Awakening 2000, an initiative for churches to spread the Gospel.
It had no parade and only 56 stalls.
It was "entertainment on a truck", Mrs McAlpine said.
This year's festival has more than 100 stalls.
"The people of Riverstone feel like they own it," she said.
Organisers are hoping not to have a repeat of the 2003 festival, which was called off due to bad weather.
■ Details: Saturday, May 16, 9am, corner of Park and Pitt streets, Riverstone. Visit http://riverstonefestival.com.au.
