Events of the Year 2008

	Ryde Arts Festival & Parade The largest mixed arts event to take place on the Isle of Wight propelled itself through the streets of Ryde taking the Victorian town by storm with all the excitement and panache of a flamboyant Mardi gras carnival display
	1940's Weekend Enchanted visitors flocked to the Island Steam Railway to take a unique return journey back to the war years, where train rides in vintage steam locomotives, military vehicles, soldiers, and street parties were a feature of everyday life

	Rolex Commodores' Cup Organised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club, this international offshore regatta for three-boat national teams was held over seven days in Cowes and was designed to test the teams over a variety of inshore and offshore courses
	Round the Island Race Olympic medallists and round-the-world skippers joined forces with first time racers and family cruisers to complete the 50 nautical mile course around the Isle of Wight in one of the most popular fixtures in the Solent racing calendar
	National Veterans Day Over 150 veterans gathered in the grounds of Northwood House in Cowes to attend a traditional military Drumhead Service and march past with the salute taken by HM Lord-Lieutenant as part of the Island's Veterans Day celebrations
	Isle of Wight Festival 55,000 people flocked to Seaclose Park to be part of the first UK festival of the summer season and the tenth Isle of Wight Festival since its incarnation in 1968. The Kaiser Chiefs, Sex Pistols and The Police were headlining

	Victorian Weekend Visitors to Havenstreet station were quite literally transported back in time whilst being given a new-founded appreciation for the glory days of the 1800's when the pace of life was slower and travelling by train was an exciting new revelation
	Old Gaffers Festival For the twelfth consecutive year the ancient village of Yarmouth was transformed into a weekend hotspot as Islanders deserted the main towns of Newport and Ryde and descended upon the West Wight to join in with the Old Gaffers festivities
	Big Green Picnic Over 7,000 people attended the first ever event of its kind designated entirelyto promoting environmental issues on the Island, whilst highlighting the aims of the Eco-Island vision to families & individuals in an entertaining & engaging way
	Walking Festival Well over 20,000 people attended the 10th anniversary of the Walking Festival which saw a record number of people taking part in 275 different walks across the garden Isle in perfect weather conditions
	Walk the Wight There was unanimous relief this year as early morning clouds rolled away to reveal hazy sunshine and over 10,000 people donned their walking boots to partake in the largest community fundraising event ever to be held on the IOW
	Isle of Wight Marathon Race 155 plucky athletes pounded their way through streets and towns amidst sweltering sunshine and soaring temperatures to complete the 26 mile East Wight race organised annually by Ryde Harriers
	Real Ale Festival Visitors to the Steam Railway found themselves engaged in some thirsty work over the Mayday Bank Holiday weekend, with the opportunity to sample a range of 24 fine ales, bottled beers, English country wines and traditional cider

	Spring Garden Show Hundreds of green-fingered enthusiasts that proved beyond doubt gardening is one of the Island's most popular hobbies, by turning out in force for the Spring Garden Show at Robin Hill Countryside Adventure Park
	Mega Wheels Car Show There was a distinct buzz in the air in and around Newchurch as the Mega Wheels Car Show rolled into town for a second year running. This huge gathering of vintage and classic vehicles also boasted several new attractions
	International Jazz Festival Swarms of Jazz enthusiasts make their way across the Solent for this year's event which spanned jazz generations and introduced revellers to the jazz talents of the modern day

Want to Back-Track? Re-live the highlights of previous years by accessing our 2007 and 2006 Archives. Simply click on the respective images to the right to open the files!