Funday Sunday to host Horsham’s first children’s parade

The ‘walking exhibition’ on Sunday July 7 aims to showcase the creativity of Horsham District’s children through a glorious spectacle of giant models, vibrant costumes and upbeat music paraded through Horsham’s town and park.

Described as a ‘joyous celebration of creativity’ by Funday Sunday organisers Horsham Rotary Club, Horsham Children’s Parade will have the theme ‘Art & Artists’ which has been chosen to reflect the Horsham District Year of Culture 2019.

It will enable children from more than 15 schools, aged seven to 11 who would not otherwise get the opportunity, to work with professional artists, learn about a diverse range of art and artists and showcase their own artwork as an official part of a major cultural event.

Designed to be an inclusive event, the parade will feature a diverse range of artists and participating schools including Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee, and those in isolated rural communities.

It will depart from Denne Road car park at 11.30am and arrive at Horsham Park just after noon where the community can join in with fun art activities as part of Funday Sunday.

The annual family event will be compered by TV’s Dave Benson Phillips and will be packed with a plethora of entertainment.

Local talent including Tomfoolery, Ollie Heath, Amber Titchenor and Discounted will be in attendance, as well as choirs, musicians, drama and dance groups and the ‘Horsham Acro’ Gymnastic display.

Bezerkaz Circus will be back thrilling everyone with their circus skills, activities and performances and encouraging all kids to get involved, and Benson’s traditional Funfair will also be returning with a wide variety of equipment.

Other attractions include steam driven machines, ‘Titan the Robot’ show, The Ghostbusters, Guiles Reptiles, Kapow’s Wrestling Shows, The Rotary Coconut Shy, a Children’s Zone with Bounce Mania, soft play, Music Bus and Busy Days Face Painting.

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The wide variety of local traders and service providers will be selling home produced products, beauty, clothing, accessories and gifts as well as health and wellbeing advice and products.

Street food will be provided by local producers and will include ethically produced sausages and burgers, crepes, pizzas, pasta dishes, Thai food, cakes, sweets and waffles alongside Hepworth’s Beer Bar, a ‘Wine, Pimms and Prosecco Bar’, a ‘Polygon Cocktail Bar’ and tea and coffee.

Local sports clubs will be present in the have-a-go Sports Zone where everyone can try out an array of activities from basketball to tai-chi.

Clubs represented include Horsham Sparrows Football, Atlantis Swimming Club, Bluecoats Sports, Horsham Karate and Tai-Chi, Horsham Shaolin-Kung Fu, Nuthurst Cricket Club, Horsham Table Tennis Club, Horsham Junior Bowling Club (10 Pin), Horsham Hawks Basketball, My Golf Academy, and Slinfold Golf.

The Police, Fire Brigade, First responders and Neighbourhood Watch will all be in our 999 Zone and many local charities will be raising funds and awareness for the work they do, including Age UK, Chestnut Tree Hospice, St. Catherine’s Hospice, Hope, Neil’s Club, Jane’s Wish, Lifeboats, Animals Asia, Manor Green School, QEII School, Olive Tree Cancer Support, The Rotary Club of Horsham, Inner Wheel Horsham, The Positive Page, Springboard and the Samaritans.

Community organisations will also be letting visitors know what they do and how you can get involved.

The Horsham Area Car Scheme, Horsham Geological field Club, Kinder Living, Sussex Green Living, The Horsham Society, and Horsham Churches Together will all be represented.

Horsham Rotary Club are delighted to have a number of top local companies sponsoring this year’s event including Bluecoat Sports, Gatwick Kia, Gatwick Mitsubishi, Mansell McTaggart, NFU Mutual Insurance, Henfield Hire and Horsham District Council.

If you are a Community Organisation, a Charity. Sports Club, or a trader it is still not too late to get involved. Email [email protected] or leave a message on the ‘Rotary Club of Horsham’ Facebook page, where you can also find more information.

The Horsham Rotary Club is asking all organisations and visitors to try and avoid single use plastics.

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