Marlow Town Regatta & Festival
The 2015 Marlow Town Regatta and Festival will take place on the Thames in Higginson Park, Marlow over the weekend of 13th and 14th of June. We have tried to include pretty much everything going on over the weekend in this article, with appropriate links to other websites for more detail if required…
Saturday – Regatta and Garden Party
The Saturday features rowing races with junior and senior athletes from clubs, schools and colleges. Alongside that, inside the enclosure there is the Riverside Bar, selling local ales, wines, spirits and champagne, and of course Pimm’s – plus a diverse mix of food stalls. Throughout the day Marlow FM 97.5 will provide musical entertainment.
Entry to the enclosure will be by traditional Subscriber Badge. These are available online or at the Marlow Information Centre in the Library – noting it is cheaper to buy in advance, and they will only be sold on the day subject to availability – there IS a limit! It was also possible to pre-book picnic pitches for gazebos etc. but these are SOLD OUT!
New for this year – is sit down dining in the “Jim Campbell Garden Enclosure“, hosted by The Assembly Room. Lunch spaces are sold out, but at time of writing you can book in for other times.
Gloriana
Coincidentally on the same day, the Queen’s barge Gloriana, will pass through Marlow as part of the celebrations for the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta. So, Regatta attendees will get a great view of the spectacle! Gloriana is expected to pass Higginson Park around 11am and the racing will stop for a short period. Just after 12 noon another group of boats will pass through Marlow, including the “Jubilant” carrying a new copy of the Magna Carta on its way to Runnymede. www.thamesalive.org.uk/magnacarta
Sunday – Festival Day
The Sunday event welcomes spectators to enjoy the spectacle of Dragon Boat and canoe racing and at the same time visit the entertainment arena which offers a range of fun and exciting activities for all the family. There will be food stalls and plenty of picnic space, all right by the river. There are also various stalls, and the ‘Marlow Showcase’ where yu can find out about local organisations. Rounding off the day, and new for 2015 is Opera on a big screen!
Sunday is free entry to the enclosure, and all day car-parking is available for £5 per day, on the day.
Dragon Boats and Canoes
The annual Marlow Dragon Boat Festival regularly attracts in excess of 500 participants in over 30 teams making Marlow one of the largest events of its type in the UK.
Alongside the dragon boating runs The Marlow Canoe Regatta – exhilarating competition and frantic sprint races. The races intersperse with the Dragon Boat races, promising continuous action throughout the day.
Entertainments in the arena
Events, with approximate timings, include:
10.30-12.00 Marlow Churches Together Sunday Service
12.00-12.30 Marlow Joint Primary Schools Choir
12.30-13.00 John Johnny Dance Academy
13.00-13.30 Borlase School Choir
13.30-14.00 Katy Kartwheel Circus Troupe
14.00-14.30 Marlow Orchestra
14.30-15.00 Reading Scottish Pipe Band
15.00-15.30 CVS Vets Dog Show
15.30-16.00 Wycombe Steel Orchestra
16.00-16.30 Kobika Dance and Cheerleading Group
16.30-17.00 Reading Scottish Pipe Band
17.00-17.30 Katy Kartwheel Circus Troupe
17.30-18.00 Wycombe Steel Orchestra
Opera on the Big Screen (FREE!)
Garsington Opera’s production of the opera Vert-Vert by Offenbach will be screened in the Regatta Enclosure at 7.30pm on Sunday evening. Described as “enchanting and hilarious” with a “zany plot”, and it will be in English. So even if traditional opera is not your thing, this should be a fun spectacle!
Limited seating will be available on a first come first served basis. It is suggested that you bring chairs and rugs with you, from 7.00pm. A licensed bar and food stalls will be available throughout the evening until close, which is expected to be about 10.00pm.
www.marlowtownregatta.org/opera-for-all.php
Traylens Funfair
Runs in parallel to the Town Regatta & Festival, basically filling up the rest of Higginson Park – and will open on Thu 11th until to Sun 14th June.
So, that’s about it -see you there and HAVE FUN!!
