Harbour Carnival looks set to be a scorching success
WITH ducks ready to race and teams being finalised, the Harbour Carnival is expected to be a hit this evening.
Despite the cost of putting on the event increasing by 60% in recent years, organiser Joe Oliver from the Guernsey Round Table said setting up such a major event had been a success.
‘We have got most things in place and are just hoping for some teams to confirm,’ he said.
‘Organising it takes time so we can all have fun on the day and get some good competition going.’
As a private event, organisers had to cover the cost of St John Ambulance, marketing, the bar and tents.
‘As with everything, it has just got more expensive,’ Mr Oliver added.
‘It’s a shame and makes it harder for us – we don’t want to pass it on to sponsors’ costs because it might put people off.’
He said it was important for the Harbour Carnival to remain a free event, and was thankful to sponsors Fairfield Wealth and Walkers Global.
‘It’s costing companies more and they can’t absorb all the costs, although they are very good to us.
‘We want it to be a free community event and we don’t want to be in a situation where we have to start charging.’
The most popular event has remained the ladies’ dinghy race.
‘We get the most interest in the ladies’ dinghy race, which gets extremely competitive. There is a bit of jeopardy so it’s always a great spectacle,’ Mr Oliver said.
‘The tug of war is well-attended in terms of spectators and the man-powered flight is always good fun to watch – it’s all about the atmosphere.’
He added that the States and Police had been ‘very helpful’ and that the event was eagerly anticipated by many. The carnival was last held in September 2021 due to Covid restrictions.
‘This has been going on for so many years that people know what to expect.
‘We can have last minute entries and we have before.’
To join the Guernsey Round Table, email guernseyrtco@gmail.com and for more information about the Harbour Carnival, visit www.harbourcarnival.gg.
n At 6pm, live music will begin and the bar will open. The duck race will begin between 6.20pm and 6.30pm, depending on the tides, followed by the ladies’ dinghy race at 7pm, tug of war at 8pm, and the man-powered flight at 9pm. The event will close with fireworks at around 10pm.
