Yarmouth’s popular Bonfire Night celebrations have received a £5,000 boost from Wightlink, helping to ensure the town’s traditional torchlight procession and fireworks display can go ahead next month.
The ferry operator has donated the money to the Yarmouth Carnival Committee, which organises the annual event taking place on 5th November.
The fireworks and torchlight procession have been a much-loved part of Yarmouth’s calendar for more than 50 years, attracting crowds from across the Isle of Wight and the mainland.
This year’s celebrations will begin at 18:00, with a torchlit procession setting off from Yarmouth Town Square before making its way along the High Street and onto the Common.
A beacon will then be lit before a fireworks display illuminates the skies over the Solent.
Local businesses will also be joining in the festivities by creating Guy Fawkes figures to display in their shop windows or outside their premises, with Wightlink providing prizes for the best entries.
The £5,000 donation marks the third consecutive year that Wightlink has provided funding towards the fireworks display.
Jamie Allen, Chair of Yarmouth Carnival Committee, has said:
“We’re very grateful to Wightlink for this generous donation. There is a lot of work involved in organising the fireworks and torchlight procession each year, and this support will help us continue to put on an event that is enjoyed by so many people.
“The evening has become an important part of the Yarmouth calendar, with the torchlight procession, the Guy Fawkes displays and the fireworks all bringing the town together and providing a much-needed boost for local businesses at a quiet time of year.
“With all our events run by volunteers, donations like this make a real difference, and we’re very pleased to have Wightlink’s support and are looking forward to this year’s event.”
Sam Woodman, Wightlink’s Partnerships Marketing Manager, has said:
“We’re delighted to continue our support for Yarmouth’s fireworks and torchlight procession. It’s a wonderful community event that brings local people together and attracts visitors from across the Island and the mainland to enjoy everything Yarmouth has to offer.
“As a company with such strong connections to Yarmouth, we’re proud to support events like this and help make them possible. We’re also looking forward to seeing the town’s fantastic Guy Fawkes displays and rewarding the best of them with our prizes.”
To encourage mainland visitors to attend, Wightlink is also offering 20% off foot passenger, car and motorcycle ferry fares for travel to the Isle of Wight between Wednesday (4th November) and Friday (6th November).
The fireworks and torchlight procession are free to attend.
Further details about the event and ferry discount can be found at www.wightlink.co.uk/explorer/yarmouth-fireworks-and-torchlight-procession, with more information about the carnival committee available at www.yarmouthcarnival.co.uk.
