HORSHAM TOWN CENTRE FESTIVAL
2009 Dates: Thursday 29 October - Sunday 1st November
In October each year as part of the Half Term holidays Horsham town centre comes to life with three days of exciting festival fever as part of the Town Centre Festival. This year the event has been extended to now cover four full days of fun, from Thursday 29th October to Sunday 1st November!
The 2008 programme was fuller than ever, offering a frenzied fusion of critically acclaimed street theatre, live music, creative workshops and traditional funfair rides, with new additions that included a local produce market, town centre tours, an exhibition that explored the Horsham Festival over the last 100 years plus carnival workshops that developed skills in costume making, drumming and dance.
World music played a key part in the 2008 event with everything from Celtic jigs and Caribbean Steel drums, to eastern European gypsy and South American Samba! The Battle of the Bands final also returned to the Carfax on Festival Friday in an awesome showcase of local musical talent.
Saturday was the real festival highlight as some of the UK’s finest street theatre acts descended on the town, including Shirley Seabassey and her friend Tina Tuna in their hilarious Starfish Wives performance, the 12ft tall musical Jelly Roller dragon and the eccentrically entertaining Pink Lady teetering around in her wellies.
As darkness falls the party began! Big Beat kicked off the carnival celebrations in heart-thumping style with an energetic performance on the Carfax Stage. The group produced incredible sounds on an array of industrial waste including gas-pipes, shopping trolleys and even the kitchen sink. Unfortunately the planned procession of lanterns, costumes and dancing which concluded a week of carnival workshops had to be cancelled due to very wet and windy weather but the Festival concluded happily with a firework spectacular supported by Lifestyle Mazda.
For details about the 2009 Autumn Half Term Festival please contact the Marketing and Events Officer on 01403 215279 or email leisure@horsham.gov.uk.