Local Events ... in Hastings

Hastings has a wealth of events to offer, and certainly too many to list here. Below are a few examples.

The Jack in the green (first Bank holiday in may)

The Jack-in-the-Green festival in Hastings is based on a tradition which started in the 1830s, died out at the start of the 20th century, but was revived in 1979 by a group called Mad Jack's Morris Dancers. It is now an annual event which takes place during the bank holiday weekend at the start of May. On the Saturday and Sunday there are bands and Morris dancers in the pubs and streets and the May Queen is crowned.

Old town week and carnival 2nd week of  of August

Hastings Old Town Week is an annual summer event celebrated in the Old Town of Hastings , East Sussex . The Old Town week is officially opened on Winkle Island and during the week events such as concerts, street parties, charity races and Morris Dancing take place. The week ends with the Old Town Carnival procession, which contains 'floats', dancers, majorettes and marching bands and ends with a firework display in the evening.

Seafood and wine festival in September each year

Don't let the name put you off; you don't need to be a seafood lover or a wine expert to enjoy the Hastings Seafood and Wine Festival. Although this is only the third year of the annual event, its reputation and popularity has grown. In the inaugural festival in 2006, over 15,000 visitors enjoyed fresh local produce skilfully prepared. Last year that number had doubled. Hastings is famous for its fishing fleet which provides a number of local businesses with freshly caught seafood and holds awards from the Marine Stewardship Council.

Hastings week with Town criers competition and Bonfire parade. October.

The Hastings National Town Criers Championship is now in its 56th year and sees Town Criers come from all over the country to compete for the coveted title. This year the performances of the Criers will be judged on: Volume, Diction, Clarity and Inflection.
Entrants will also be judged for their fit of costume, bearing, overall appearance and use of historically relevant props.

Chess tournament at Horntye Centre December 27th onwards.

Horntye Park is one of the best chess venues in the country. It is just over 1km from the town centre and is shown on the map in this brochure. Bus services go from the town centre to the venue. There is adequate car-parking space on the premises.

The playing hall is accessible to players with disabilities. There are toilet facilities for players with disabilities and a lift between floors.