Midsummer Fish Festival 2019

The Hastings Midsummer Fish Festival 2019 will be starting tomorrow at 11.00am, 22-23 June 2019, at The Stade (website). As always, food, drink and music all day, both days, with admission in advance from the Tourist Information Centre, Breeds Place, for £1.50 the whole weekend; at the 'gate' £3.00, and under 18s free. There will be a bar with crafty keg beers, and Harveys Brewery (website) will have a real ale bar (no FILO this year), if you would prefer ales from local microbreweries, try the Jolly Fisherman or the Dolphin Inn, the nearest free houses.

Hastings Midsummer Fish Festival 2018 this weekend.

Saturday and Sunday the 23rd and 24th of June sees the Midsummer Fish Festival again return to the Stade Open Space, from 11.00 to 18.00 both days; entry for the whole weekend is £2 on the door (under 18s free), £1 in advance from the Tourist Information Centre at Muriel Matters House, 2 Breeds Place TN34 3AA (website).

Food and drink, music and dancing, cooking demonstrations, children's activities, free face painting, and much more, means fun for all the family, enjoy yourselves!

Busy, busy, busy, this weekend!

To start with, and it may appear a few days late, but the America Ground features its annual Independents Day today (Saturday 8th July) from 10am, celebrating independent businesses, creativity, thought, music, and art in the area. Head for the America Ground around Robertson Street, Trinity Street and Claremont; see website.

Around the corner, on Hastings Pier, the Pavilion Restaurant reopens today under new management (the Hastings Pier Charity going in-house now), and the extended Summer Opening Times begin too: 10am to 10pm (website). In addition to the usual Pier facilities, promenading, and events, there is also a Classic Car Boot Sale on both weekend days from 10am, with vintage fashion and accessories, homeware, collectables, vinyl records and much more (website).

Meanwhile, back to the old town and the Stade Open Space, and enter the 2017 Midsummer Fish Festival, with music, local wines and ales, cooking demonstrations, and, oh yes, fish! Since losing funding from the European Fisheries Fund a small entry fee is charged, £1 (for the whole weekend) available from the tourist centre at Muriel Matters House, or £2 on the door; under 18s get in free (website).

Meeting at the Fishermen's Museum in Rock-a-Nore Road at 11am both days, and you can take guided walks of the Stade with Old Hastings Preservation Society guides, exploring the Stade Fishing Quarter, and discovering the history of Hastings' sustainable fishing industry; the walks last about 90 minutes (website). Wearing strong shoes is advised as you will be walking on pebbles and uneven ground and, although the walks are free, donations to Hastings Fishermen's Museum are very much welcomed, many thanks! 

Of course there's much more around town, music, food and pubs, museums and parks, and, not to forget, as I wrote yesterday, the last day of the Hastings Beer & Music Festival (website) with its Family Day today. Have fun!

Fish Festival and much more this weekend!

After all the excitement, joy and dismay, following the Referendum, Hastings gets back to what it does well, with the 3rd Midsummer Fish Festival starting today at The Stade, 11.00 until 20.00 hours; tomorrow until 18.00 hours. This means a free event sponsored by Hastings Fishermen's Protection Society and Hastings Borough Council with music galore, childrens' activities, cooking and fish filleting demonstrations, beer, and, of course, fish! See HBC website, and links from there, for further information about the event.

In conjunction with the Midsummer Fish Festival, the free guided Stade Walk returns, starting at the Fishermen's Museum in Rock-a-Nore Road at 11.00, and arranged by Old Hastings Preservation Society! A donation to the Museum or OHPS would be appreciated, though; for more information, see their website. 

Of course, Hastings Pier cannot be ignored either! Music here too from 13.00 hours, with Helen Sharpe and the Soulshine Band, and Chill @ The Pier from 16.00 hours, with a Terrace DJ Set, and, of course the Vintage Funfare continues from 10.00. See website for more details and have fun!

1066 Wine & Food Festival starts today!

Well well, following on from this weekend's Midsummer Fish Festival, is the first 1066 Wine & Food Festival! That is, this new festival starts at 6pm this evening, at St Mary in the Castle, with a talk about English sparkling wine, delivered by Jilly Goolden at 7pm, and music from Liane Carroll from 8pm. The festival carries on throughout the week with participating businesses offering special deals and other events (see website), through to next weekend, where, on Saturday and Sunday, there will be a wine fair at Stade Hall, and professional tutored wine tastings next door at Classroom on the Coast.  

To properly take advantage of the festival and its special offers, discounts and events, Festival Cards are available for just £5 from the Hastings Midsummer Fish Festival (above), all participating businesses, and tourist information centres; the Festival Card also gives 3 months free membership of the Hastings Card, with its own special offers and reductions at shops and attractions.    

Indeed, it's always good to see inside the gorgeous St Mary in the Castle, but for further information, see the 1066 Wine & Food Festival website.

Admission to this evening's opening event is free to Festival Card holders, though, probably, it would be best to check on availability and book at their website as, obviously, space is limited, enjoy the week! 

Midsummer Fish Festival this weekend!

Saturday 20 June 11.00 to 21.00, Sunday 21 June 11.00 to 17.00, Stade Open Space, Old Town, Hastings.

Free event funded by Hastings FLAG: 

"Great foodie delights" are promised at this second Hastings Midsummer Fish Festival, from numerous stall holders, including local restaurants, producers and organisations. The stalls will "showcase their best fish dishes and local products."

Visitors can also enjoy real ales with a mini-beer festival run by the FILO, ie their own Crofters, Churches Pale Ale and Gold, and 2 ales from other East Sussex brewers, Harveys IPA and Dark Star Hophead.  

The empty marquee at the Stade early today

Exhibition at the Stade Hall -  Laetitia Yhap, All Hands.  A time before Steel boats, tractors and mobiles on the Stade, 1974-1995.  

Non-stop live music, kicking off with Hastings Sinfonia, conducted by Derek Carden. For more details go to www.visit1066country.com/events/seasonal-highlights/midsummer-fish-festival.