Isle of Wight Walking Festival - 8th to 23rd May 2010
Walking is one of the best ways to admire the Isle of Wight's stunning scenery, and one of the best times to visit is during May for the UK's biggest walking festival.
Featuring over 300 walks to suit those new to walking and seasoned ramblers. All you have to do is select a walk from the programme and turn up, lightly laden at the right place.
Experienced guides have worked out the routes and will gladly pass on information about local history, wildlife and culture. And with over 500 miles of footpaths and bridleways including four coastal trails and eight long-distance walks, there's always a good reason to return.
Please call 01983 823070 to order a free copy of the walking programme (AVAILABLE IN FEBRUARY 2010).
Website: www.isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk
Walk the Wight - 16th May 2010
Get fit and get walking for charity. Join one of the popular 'Walk the Wight', a long distance sponsored walk for the Earl Mountbatten Hospice which takes place during the UK's largest Walking Festival.
In 2008 over 8,400 people walked one of the three Walks and raised over £350,000 towards the cost of caring for patients at the Isle of Wight Hospice!
This year a record number, between 9,000 and 9,500 people, supported by another 1500 friends and family, walked for the Hospice despite attrocious weather conditions and raised an amazing £387,000.
Walkers can enjoy some of the most beautiful scenery on the Island and have the choice of three distances. Bembridge to Needles Park (approx 26.5 miles), Bembridge to Carisbrooke (approx 12.5 miles) and Carisbrooke to Needles Park (approx 14 miles).
All money raised goes into the Earl Mountbatten Hospice £1 million Appeal towards financing the redevelopment of the Island's only hospice.
The walk is organised by the Hospice, supported by a small committee and walkers are, therefore, asked to obtain sponsorship or make a donation.
Advance registration is free but compulsory. Registration is now open online or by calling 01983 528989. Website: www.walkthewight.org.uk
Round the Island Yacht Race - 29th June 2010
Round the Island Race © Martin Williams
www.island-photography.co.uk
The World's largest single yacht race is held annually, with boats of all shapes and sizes competing on handicap in this anti-clockwise race around the Isle of Wight.
In recent years, there have been over 1,500 boats and over 12,000 competitors.
The race around the Island's 60 miles of coastline offers many opportunities for spectators to view the yachts close at hand, especially around the Needles and the south coast. Website: www.roundtheisland.org.uk
Yarmouth Old Gaffers Festival - 4th to 6th June 2010
The Yarmouth Old Gaffers Festival will feature three days of free entertainment, spectacle and classic boats. Yarmouth is a favourite stop for yachts making their way east or west along the popular waters of the Solent.
You don't have to be (or to own) an “old gaffer” to join in. This popular location has a splendid Tudor castle, charming cottages, well-stocked chandlery, unique shops, fine pubs and good eating-houses.
The harbour will be filled with gaff-rigged vessels and the town square and quayside busy with craft stalls and a farmers' market. Free entertainment and ample parking is provided for this splendid weekend of festivities.
Make a date in your diaries for this now well-established, annual event. Website: www.yarmoutholdgaffersfestival.co.uk
Isle of Wight Festival - 11th to 13th June 2010
Following the come back of the Isle of Wight Festival in 2006, the 2010 festival is expected to attract even more people keen to visit the home of the famous Isle of Wight pop festivals of the late 1960's and 1970.
The festival will incorporate a wide range of music from classical and jazz to rock and pop at venues across the Island.
Dates for the rock concert are yet to be confirmed, but it's set to attract headline international rock acts as well as visitors from all corners of the globe.
Website: www.isleofwightfestival.com
Redfunnel offer competitive ferry inclusive packages for the Festival. For more details or to book online, see: www.redfunnel.co.uk/iowfestival
Cowes Week - 31st July to 7th August 2010
Since 1826 Cowes Week has played a key part in the British sporting summer calendar and is one of the UK’s longest running and most successful sporting events.
It now stages up to 40 daily races for over 1,000 boats and is the largest sailing regatta of its kind in the world.
Cowes Week is a fusion of many exciting elements, with
its great mix of competitive sailing and social activities.
The 8,500
competitors range from Olympic and world class professionals to weekend sailors. In excess of 100,000 spectators come to watch the sailing, enjoy the parties and live entertainment, and to experience the unique atmosphere. It is genuinely a one-of-a-kind event – come and see for yourself!
Website: www.cowesweek.co.uk
Isle of Wight Cycling Festival - 18th to 26th September 2010
A series of cycling events encompassing all aspects of sporting and recreational cycling. The Isle of Wight Cycling Festival serves both as a celebration of the sport and to reinforce the Island's position as a leading cycling destination.
The event offers a range of on and off road cycling challenges for all ages and abilities as well as a varied programme of entertainment for spectators. Website: www.sunseaandcycling.com
Carnival Island
Carnival © IW Tourist Board
Nowhere is the Island's friendly community spirit more evident than in its town carnivals that take place throughout the season. This season comprises approximately 17 Carnivals, 6 of which are illuminated, plus lantern processions throughout the year including the biggest, which takes place annually in Ryde on the last Sunday in November. The season kicks off with a spectacular a Mardi-Gras style ‘East and West Cowes Shrovetide Carnival' in February and runs right through to a Christmas Carnival in Newport in December. Ryde Arts Festival celebrates all aspects of the arts from street theatre to stand-up comedy. The event is also an opportunity for award-winning artists to express themselves in the Island's natural surroundings from Art on the Esplanade and Sand Sculpture to Poetry on the Pier. Website: www.rydedevelopmenttrust.org |
