AT A TIME when most seaside towns are shutting up shop sunny Ventnor will be throwing the town open for the second V Bay festival.
Stretching over four days this year from October 21 to 24, the festival will run along the seafront and up into the town. Don’t miss the rare treat to see internationally acclaimed local band the Bees on the Thursday night at the Winter Gardens before they embark on a tour with Paul Weller.
Also at this venue will be a fun packed party night on the Friday (October 22) for only £5. Host DJ Tim Boogaloo will bring his eclectic mix of Mowtown and Northern Soul and local comedienne Hannah George will be raising many laughs in the main hall while the Hillmans play in the bar.
But it is the Big Speakeasy evening on Saturday (October 23) that will have everyone out in 20s, 30s and 40s fancy dress to try their luck at the traditional roulette tables. Entrance is only £12 and includes ‘£50 worth’ of chips with the person with the most chips by the end of the evening winning a prize.
Aaron Isted will be working his mysterious table magic on the fluttering guests and the evening will play out to the music of a traditional jazz band.
Over the weekend music will play a large part in the proceedings with venues for live artists all over the town. The Met Bar will have more jazz on offer and the Spyglass will feature local bands. You may have seen the films made by the Spyglass and Met Bar featuring V Bay last year – you might be in the one they make this year!
Live music will also be on the menu at the Ale and Oyster, Rios, the Ventnor Bay Café, the Beach Hut Diner, the Rose, the Blenheim, the Crab and Lobster and the St Boniface Arms and more venues may join in.
The Youth Club will be staging a concert late afternoon on Saturday, a steel band will be playing on the seafront near the Spyglass and there will also be people busking around the town and seafront.
Make sure that you visit the local businesses while you’re in Ventnor for V-Bay – you’ll be surprised by the variety and quality the town has on offer. The Ventnorian is a super shop full of eco ‘green’ items for the home, traditional gifts and toys made from natural and recycled materials and lovely local crafts.
Tilly’s café is a legend in the town, particularly its breakfasts, the specials board and the doorstep sized slabs of delicious sponge cakes. Owner Jackie Tiller is one of the V Bay organisers and will doubtless have something festive up her sleeve.
Marianne in Inspirations is a wizard with her sewing machine, making curtains, cushions and other soft furnishings and she also has a very reasonable and tasteful range of bed linen and other made to measure items such as quilts and throws.
On Friday nights throughout the winter, Malcolm will be giving Salsa lessons in the winter Gardens, and ideal way to beat off those winter blues, get fit and meet new friends.
And if you’re feeling a bit fragile after all that dancing you might like to call upon the services of Mary King the local McTimony Chiropractor for her healing hands.
A ‘Treasure Trail’ features on the flyer for the festival – answer all ten questions correctly and you could win a three day break for five in Ventnor, a return short break ticket with Wightlink, a voucher for dinner at the Ale and Oyster or an English breakfast at Tilly’s bistro.
‘Open the Safe’ will be a game you’ll want to play – guess the four number combination to open the safe and you win the £50 within.
Gallybagger pirates will be swarming all over the town, making nuisances of themselves, picking sword fights and blowing things up with real gunpowder on the seafront. “Press Gangs will be around and arrests will be made!” says the V Bay announcement.
The pirates may even join forces with the Ventnor Comic Jazz Band for a parade to remember and at 7pm on Saturday the seafront there will host a large skirmish by Wight Pirates when fireworks will fly.
For more frightening experiences, Mark Tuckey will be running Ghost Walks in the evenings.
On the beach will be a treasure hunt, a tug of war and the boxing club will be putting on a display. The Angling Club at Wheelers Bay will be offering free tuition and there’s a fishing competition on Ventnor Beach.
Magician Randini will be hosting a picnic at the Seabreeze playground on Saturday afternoon – bring your own picnic – and there will be a fun area for kids around the paddling pool. On Sunday Randini will be staging a Punch and Judy show on the beach.
Saturday afternoon will herald the arrival of the Coastguard Air Sea Rescue Helicopter and Sandown and Shanklin Inshore Lifeboat (SSIL) for a death defying display of their life saving skills.
On Sunday there will be an Antique and Collectors Fayre in the Winter Gardens form 10am till 3pm including valuations by Rex Gully of Hose Rhodes and Dixon Auction Rooms between 10am and midday for a £1 fee per item.
For more details see www.ventnorbay.co.uk as more activities are being added daily. See you there!
