Maritime town sets sail for Harwich Sea Festival

Final preparations are underway for the return of the summer spectacle, which will be held on Saturday.

The event, formally known as Harwich Sea Festival, was taken over by The Harwich Haven Authority this year after the town’s Rotary Club announced it could no longer host the summertime festival.

The newly-named Harwich Maritime Festival will be held on The Quay with the focus of the event to reflect the town’s rich maritime history.

More than 50 stalls will line Harwich Quay, along with musical entertainment from a selection of live bands throughout the day.

The stalls will be selling and displaying a mixture of land and sea-based gifts, paintings, equipment and goods to visitors.

Other highlights include sea shanty singers, RNLI lifeboat demonstrations and a competition for the best dressed vessel.

Visitors will also be treated to a performance by JS and The Lockerbillies who sung at this year’s Glastonbury Festival.

For those travelling to the festival from out of town, a sea-themed train will be leaving Manningtree Railway Station at 11am with the festival’s mascot on board and a magician to keep youngsters entertained.

Later in the day there will be a pirate radio exhibition in the waiting room on Ha’penny Pier which has been curated by the Pharos Trust.

Parking will be available for visitors on Harwich Green, in Harbour Crescent.

Fiona Brunning, Harwich Haven Authority’s communications manager, said: “We were delighted to step in and pick up the organisation of the Maritime Festival and RNLI Lifeboat Day from the Rotary Club.

“With an increased marketing budget we have been able to reach a wider audience this year and our hope is that new visitors will return to explore more of Harwich and Dovercourt.”

Programmes will be on sale at the event and all proceeds will go to the 1953 Flood Memorial Garden project, which is being managed by Harwich Town Council.

For more details visit hha.co.uk/maritime-festival-2019.