By Rebecca Hannant
Following a two-year break due to the coronavirus pandemic, Hornsea Carnival committee members are promising a weekend full of entertainment for the whole family to enjoy as part of this year’s event taking place in July.
The first carnival took place 55 years ago – on July 22-23, 1967, in Hall Garth Park, and it has since become one of the highlights of Hornsea’s calendar. The inaugural event welcomed an estimated 10,000 visitors who witnessed the decorated floats and fancy dress. The Sunday featured a treasure hunt and sandcastle competition, before ending with a dance in the Floral Hall.
Since its origins the carnival organisers have continued to work closely with the Hornsea community to ensure that everyone is welcome. Residents and businesses past and present have flocked to support the event in any way they can, from volunteering to raise money to providing stewarding support at the event itself.
The event from July 22-24 will kickstart the school summer holidays, and some pre-carnival events are now open for entries, including the traditional window treasure hunt, in which 38 businesses across Hornsea have hidden “misplaced” and “unusual” items in their window displays. All people have to do is identify the items that should not be there and send in their answers. Winning entries will be put into a draw to win a prize.
Hornsea Carnival chairman Iain Poole said: “All the acts are confirmed, and we have all our ducks in a row – all we need now is the weekend to arrive. I’m super-proud of all the hard work the team have done to get to this point. Each member of the committee has given so much of their free time to ensure the whole community and surrounding area have this amazing event. As a team we can’t wait for Carnival, and we truly hope the whole community get behind Hornsea Carnival and enjoy it. Remember – it’s your community, it’s your carnival.”
Seaside FM has also been confirmed as an official partner of the event and will provide radio
coverage throughout the weekend.
Iain added: “The importance of linking with local businesses cannot be understated. We are the largest free three-day event in the area, and we need to keep everyone up to date with Hornsea Carnival and what we have going on.
“Our partnership with Seaside FM just makes sense – Seaside FM already does so much for the community, and we cannot wait to see how we progress forward.”
- More information about live performances and tickets in this week’s edition
