Hats, Fireworks And Regatta Fun Have Sandown Buzzing

Tuesday, 13 August 2024 10:26

By Dominic Kureen @WriteOnDom

Thousands flocked to Sandown for the annual Regatta on Sunday (August 11), with organisers hailing the event one of the town’s 'biggest for years'.

Crowds on a packed seafront enjoyed a day of non-stop family entertainment, including the popular Grand Regatta Hat Parade on Eastern Beach and a spectacular fireworks finale in the evening.

Sandown Carnival, organisers of the Regatta since 2022, were delighted with the event's success.

Carnival Chair Paul Coueslant said:

"It was fantastic to see the town come to life in such a big way.

"The Esplanade was incredibly busy from the moment the street market opened at 10am, and the crowds kept coming all the way up to the fireworks display at 9.15pm.

"Sandown Bay Regatta has been a historic summer landmark for the town since 1857 and this year’s event has been the biggest since we took it over".

The Regatta fun started on Saturday with a dog show and samba drumming workshop at Sandham Gardens.

On Sunday, the street market opened with music from Wight Diamonds Band, followed by entertainment in two separate performance areas along the Esplanade.

A little further along the seafront, the Eastern Beach Arena hosted the Hat Parade, the climax to weeks of community creativity at The Regatta Hat Factory, an initiative on the High Street supported by the Arts Council England Lottery Fund.

The Arena also saw traditional beach games like tug of war, sack race and ever-popular egg and spoon, alongside a Punch and Judy show and music provided throughout the day by Soundwaves Entertainment.

Like all Sandown Carnival’s events, the Regatta is run entirely by volunteers who depend on donations and sponsorship to make it all happen.