A waterfront festival that attracts thousands of visitors is set to return this summer. Crowds are expected to once again gather on Maidstone’s riverbanks to watch raft races and floating displays take to the water. The Maidstone River Festival has been a staple of the county town’s summer calendar for more than 40 years. The raft race is the much-anticipated highlight of the event and, this year, it kicks off at 2.30pm from the High Level Bridge. Competitors will be paddling down the 650-metre stretch of the River Medway, all the while being cheered on by onlookers, until the winner is crowne…