The long awaited successor to the much-missed Maritime Festival is finally here this Saturday July 22.
Re-branded as the Festival of the Sea, events kick off at 11am with the start of the Raft Race. Starting at Monkbretton Bridge, the rafts (or at least, those that stay afloat) go from there past the fishing boats, back to the bridge followed by a second lap. It should be noisy, fun and a great spectacle.
Then follow the Bonfire Boys drummers through the High Street and down to Strand Quay, watch the tug of war outside the Borough Arms, applaud raft teams and tug teams as the receive their well-deserved prizes.
All the usual stalls associated with the old Maritime Festival will be there, including the essential beer tent, and spend time admiring the boats and listening to some of Rye’s best bands and vocalists as they entertain you for the afternoon.
There are programmes with the full event listings available throughout the town and also here.
Photo: Rye News library