By Press Release
After the success of The Great Sandown Hat Revival in 2023, Sandown Carnival is offering everyone the chance to be part of a hat-making extravaganza for the town’s Regatta this summer.
The Regatta Hat Factory will open on Sandown High Street from Wednesday, July 17, for more than four weeks leading up to Regatta day in August.
“We were delighted to bring back the tradition of hat-wearing at Sandown Bay Regatta last year,” said carnival chair Paul Coueslant. “Our hat-making workshops supported by Arts Council England were incredibly popular and often oversubscribed. It was clear the community wanted more, so we’re really stepping up what we can offer the town’s residents and visitors this year.”
Sandown Carnival is working in partnership with Boojum & Snark to set up the Hat Factory, and the project manager is Tracy Mikich.
Tracy explained: “Last year, we saw some amazing giant hats inspired by legendary hat-wearer Gertrude Shilling, the Mascot of Ascot. This year, we’re turning the spotlight on Sandown’ Tracy explains. ‘We’ve invited creative practitioners to capture the essence of Sandown’s heritage, culture, and unique nature and come up with a new collection of big, eye-catching headwear. The results will be shown off at the summer carnival parades as well as the Regatta, and they’ll feature in an exhibition at the Quay Arts Centre later this year.”
The Regatta Hat Factory at 105 High Street, Sandown, will be open Wednesdays to Sundays midday to 8pm, through to the weekend of Sandown Bay Regatta on August 10 and 11. Groups can book a session by contacting hello@boojumandsnark.co.uk.
