Sandown will officially launch the Isle of Wight’s carnival season this coming Saturday (25th July) as hundreds of participants, colourful floats, bands and community groups take to the streets for the town’s much-loved Main Carnival.
The procession gets underway at 19:00 from Sandown Library before following a circular route around the town, with organisers promising entertainment for all ages.
Entries are still being accepted, with no pre-registration required. Those wishing to take part can register on the day from 17:00 on Culver Parade.
This year’s Main Carnival comes after organisers announced earlier this year that the traditional Children’s Carnival would not take place because of rising event costs. Instead, children are being encouraged to take part at the front of the main procession, with the option to leave the route early if they wish.
Harry Finnis, Chair of Sandown Carnival Association, has said:
“We’re excited to start this year’s carnival season, and our summer parades remain a much-loved tradition for both visitors and residents alike.
“We’ve made the difficult decision to pause our Children’s parade this year due to rising costs across our events. However, we hope children’s entries will join us towards the front of our main carnival procession, where there will be an option for them to leave the route early if they wish.
Article continues below this advertisement “As a non-profit community organisation, we rely on the generosity of our community to keep our events running. Donations are extremely appreciated and can be made in cash using our collection buckets, by card using our volunteer collectors on the day along route (look out for the backpack flags), or online through our website.”
The appeal for donations follows a challenging period for the Carnival Association, which has faced increasing financial pressures in recent years while continuing to stage its popular programme of events as reported by Island Echo. Earlier this year, organisers said difficult financial decisions had been necessary to ensure the summer carnival season could go ahead.
Following Saturday’s Main Carnival, Sandown Carnival Association will host the Sandown Bay Regatta on 9th August before the town’s spectacular Illuminated Carnival returns on 26th August.
Further information about taking part or supporting the carnival is available at www.sandowncarnival.com and via the Sandown Carnival Facebook page.
Will the FREE parking still be available inside the Pedestrianised Zone
outside The Old Tourist Information centre opposite the Pier.
It does help and save a few pennies from paying the nightly
charge of £2.00