by Rebecca Hannant
The annual Withernsea Carnival returns this weekend for its 101st year, offering nine days of free family fun across the town.
Running from Saturday, August 9, to Saturday, August 17, events will take place at venues including Valley Gardens, Withernsea Library, Italian Gardens, the Jack Gledhill Centre, and Withernsea Lighthouse.
The programme includes traditional favourites such as face painting, sandcastle art, a dig for treasure, the aqua walk and the window display hunt, alongside games, competitions, crafts and music.
The parade, featuring colourful displays from local charities, businesses and organisations, sets off at 2pm on Saturday, August 16. Music from DJ Leon will start from 11am to entertain spectators.
New for 2025 is Withernsea’s first roller disco, offering hourly skating sessions for £3 per person, including skate hire.
The carnival opens on Saturday, August 9, at 11am with music from DJ Leon and magician Stephen Brailsford performing until 2pm. The Royal Family will be crowned at 2pm, followed by more music, face painting, crafts and food stalls.
Sunday, August 10, is a community showcase in Valley Gardens from 11am to 3pm, with performances by Elevation, DJ Leon, Connor Penson and Curtis and McLeod.
On Monday, August 11, a Beach Day will run from 10am to 4pm, featuring a beach clean with TownSMART, sandcastle building, stone art, a treasure dig and aqua shootout.
Tuesday’s events in the Lighthouse Gardens include crafts, puppet shows, the messy tent, Allen Stichler’s wood carving and more.
The roller disco takes over the Jack Gledhill Centre on Wednesday, August 13, from 11am to 7pm.
On Thursday, August 14, the Hut will host wood carving, outdoor games and a treasure hunt.
Friday’s activities include music and crafts at the library, disc golf in Italian Gardens, and more crafts at the Jack Gledhill Centre.
Saturday’s parade will be followed by a fete in Valley Gardens, with stalls, games, fancy dress, competitions and photo opportunities. Junior and adult competitions range from art and crafts to homegrown vegetables, baking and photography.
Despite a packed programme, organisers say this year has been particularly challenging because of funding issues and volunteer shortages.
Carnival treasurer Flo Fogg-Stevens said: “As volunteers, we’re having to do three times the work. The financial team are working hard to get funding, but the criteria we have to meet is really tough. We’ve had support from the RAOB, the Withernsea Lions and local businesses, but we’re being asked to self-finance large costs up front and then claim them back – which we simply can’t do. That model doesn’t work for us.”
She added: “We’re also being asked for detailed reports and personal information on families, which we don’t feel comfortable asking for. Some grants require us to provide registers and data we can’t realistically collect – especially from people who may not want to share those details.”
Flo said the team is doing its best to keep the carnival going but the burden is becoming harder each year. “We’ve been running for over 100 years – surely that proves our value to the community. But the hoops we’re being asked to jump through are getting bigger.”
The committee is also seeking new volunteers to help with organising and delivering events.
For details or to get involved, visit the Withernsea Carnival Facebook page. Programmes with the full event schedule are available from local shops for £1.