New Carnival is to shine the light on our celebrated Island Coastal Footpaths – with animated trails, community arts participation and coastal heritage venues when it hosts a unique 3-day mini walking festival called Crossing the Bar, held between 14th – 16th October.
Now in its 2nd year, XTB is supported by the IW AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty), IW Ramblers, Visit Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight Council and Arts Council England.
There will be at least 4 guided walks on offer each day of XTB, 14 in total, with short and longer route options. Each walk starts and culminates at a Coastal Heritage venue, where community arts presentations and performances are scheduled to mark the walkers return.
Venues taking part this year include: The Classic Boat Museum, The Museum of Island History, Quay Arts centre, Dinosaur Isle, Ventnor Botanic Gardens, Dimbola Museum and Galleries and Fort Victoria. IW Council’s Heritage Education Service are supporting learning engagement.
Schools and community groups taking part are: Yarmouth Primary, Newport C of E Primary, St Saviour’s Primary, Lanesend Primary, The Bay School, Island Free School, Isle of Wight College Performing Arts Students, Samphire Dance Group, Morris dancers and FaT Samba.
Walks start from midday and post-walk celebrations from 15:30 – 17:00. Walks should be pre-booked through the Walking Festival website. Some venues are opening their doors to walkers and audiences free of charge during the afternoon to enhance the visitor experience.
XTB will culminate in 2023-24, as the Isle of Wight joins in with National Year of the Coast celebrations and the opening of the new national trail – the England Coast Path. The England Coast Path will be the longest marked and managed coastal path in the world at over 2,800 miles. 80 miles of this will be on the Isle of Wight including a new extended route down the Medina Estuary.
Frankie Goldspink, freelance Creative Producer for New Carnival said:
“The opening of the new National Trail is such a great opportunity for us on the Island to shout out about what we have to offer. As well as encouraging more people to visit and discover for themselves, we want local people, and our children especially, to be proud of our UNESCO Biosphere status, to learn about their local environment, to look after it, and ultimately to immerse themselves in it”
IMO….I am getting a bit peed off with so many events/festivals being planned after such a hectic summer, just everyone stay at home ffs.
Put your feet up and enjoy the peace and quite.
IF YOU WANT TO GO FOR A WALK, GO FOR A WALK, YOU DO NOT NEED SOMEONE HOLDING YOUR HAND ON A CONSTANT BASIS !
ps why not go and explore the mainland ? I heard it is nice this time of year.