Fun For All As Sandown Regatta Back This Weekend

Sandown's expected to be busy this weekend as the annual Sandown Regatta returns to the Esplanade.

Events will be taking place in the town across this weekend with plenty of family entertainment in store, including samba drumming, flag making and the Regatta Dog Show on Saturday.

Sunday will see a revival of the Regatta Day hat wearing tradition - with those heading to the festivities encourage to don some headgear.

Organiser Paul Coueslant from Sandown Carnival said:

"The town’s been busy making hats for the last few weeks and it would be great fun if everyone could don their favourite headwear for this year’s Regatta on Sunday."

Big hats in the style of legendary hatmaker Gertrude Shilling are now on display in High Street shop windows, made with the help of the public at workshops funded by the Arts Council England Lottery Fund.

Paul added:

"In the decades after the war, it was the done thing to wear a silly hat to the Regatta and so many people have told us it’s a tradition they miss.

"This year, we’ll have a hat stall in Pier Street - just like there used to be - where you can pick up a seed paper hat to wear for the day, or you can just join in the fun by wearing a hat of your own."

The specially made seed paper hats will be available to pick up on the day after being crafted by local school pupils and care home residents.

They’ll all feature in Sunday's Grand Regatta Hat Parade on Sandown beach at 2.15pm.

Sunday will also see all-day entertainment with Joe Plumb and the Horse Box Theatre Company, magic from David Randini and a Punch and Judy show.

DJ Paul Holbrook of Soundwaves Entertainment will provide music and fun at the Regatta Beach Arena near Eastern Gardens, and there’ll be an Esplanade street market between 10am and 4pm.

Details of the Regatta are at www.sandowncarnival.com