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Swanage Fish Festival is about celebrating all things ‘fishy’ with a new pilot festival that features food , fishing and fun. Highlighting local business and skills in a perfect setting of Prince Albert Gardens and Swanage Pier. There will be fish, cockles, mussels, scallops, seafood paella oysters, cocktails and Champagne! Plus fishy and traditional sea events to amuse the whole family.
On Fishy Friday, our local restaurants, pubs and cafes will offer a range of fish specialities. Saturday is the Fishy Fun Day, full of events and stalls followed by a wonderful evening of music and superb food and drink. On Sunday, come and relax and visit the stalls, have a bite to eat and listen to some sea shanties and story telling. Take part in a coastal walk to Durlston, enjoy a sumptuous cream tea or fishy BBQ. Competition prize presentations will take place on Sunday with the raffle draw at 3pm. A full list of events will be advertised in our programme and on the website: http://ow.ly/NUlIO
Local restaurants as advertised in the programme will also have various evening fish specials mid week, please help support our local traders. Charities to benefit from the festival are The Fishermen’s Mission, RNLI and The Swanage Pier Trust.
Friday 5th June
Local eateries around the Isle of Purbeck will be putting on specialty dishes and locally caught seafood. Participating venues can be found here.
Saturday 6th June
At Prince Albert Garden’s there’s plenty to see eat and do. From cooking demonstrations (including one from local celebrity chef Ed Baines!) to foraging master classes, crabbing competitions and of course mouth-watering seafood there’s something for the whole family.
- Underwater Pier CCTV Show @ 10:30am, 12pm, 1:30pm, 3pm
Watch an amazing marine wildlife hot spot without getting wet!
- Fish filleting demo @ 11:00am
Sponsored by Samways Fish Merchants
- Children’s crabbing competition @ 11am – 12pm
Entry is £1.50 and forms can be collected from Swanage Tourist Information Office or on the day from 9:30 – 10:30 at the quay. Categories are up to 7 years and 8-14 years.
Sponsored by Peverils.
- Beach games and awareness @ 11am – 4pm
Advice on the top coastal walks, sustainable fishing and sea safety.
- Junior fishing competition @ 10.45am – 1pm
Signing on will take place at the pier entrance – 15mins before the start.
Anglers will be informed of fishing area at signing on. Anglers will be able to use one rod maximum 3 hooks, all fish to count. Fish to be counted. Fish to be recorded and signed by a steward. All record cards to be returned to signing on table by completion time – 1pm Entrance fee 50pSponsored by Swanage Angling Centre.
- Ed Baines cooking demonstration @ 12pm
- Fish filleting demo @ 1:30pm
Sponsored by Samways Fish Merchants
- Open fishing competition @ 2:15pm – 5pm
Signing on will take place at the pier entrance – 15mins before the start
Anglers will be informed of fishing area at signing on. Anglers will be able to use one rod maximum 3 hooks, all fish to count. Fish to be recorded and signed by a steward. All record cards to be returned to signing on table by completion time – 5pm Entrance fee £1.00
Sponsored by Swanage Angling Centre.
- James Golding cooking demonstration
Foraging with Giuseppe Sinaguglia & Dan Scott @ 3pm
Sponsored by Pig on the Beach
- Matthew Shepherd cooking demonstration @ 3:45pm
Sponsored by The Grand Hotel
- Fan-sea dress competition @ 4:30pm
Adults and Children’s prize
Saturday Music
11am-12pm – Community Musical (11am at The Banjo Pier, 11:30 by Gee Whites and 11:45 at the Rowing Club)
6pm – Kelp!
7pm – Nicole Faraday
7:45pm to 9:00pm – Red River Hogs
9:15pm to 10:30pm – The Reptiles
Sunday 7th June
Meander around the stalls and witness the traditional art of lobster pot making. Stroll along the Pier and listen to a sea shantie or ‘have a go row’ with Swanage Rowing Club. There will be grand raffle in aid of The Fishermen’s Mission, RNLI and The Swanage Pier Trust.
- Swanage Pier – Hog Roast @ 11.30am onwards
- Fish filleting demo @ 1:00pm
Sponsored by Samways Fish Merchants
- Grand Raffle Draw @ 3pm
- Fish colouring competition judging @ TBC
Print out and colour in our fishy picture then take it to Chococo for judging.
See swanagefishfest.org/for-kids
Sponsored by Chococo
- Stone Sculptor demonstrations @ TBC
Jonathan Sells demonstrates the skill of stone sculpture.
Sunday Music
3:00pm – Three songs from a new community musical -The King Mackerel
3:20pm – Open mic stage
12:30pm, 2pm – Wareham Whalers
All Weekend!
Swanage Pier – FREE strolling on the pier Saturday & Sunday (donations welcome)Fishing trips – Book at the Swanage Angling Centre
What’s on my line? – Try and identify all 20 fish in local shop windows! Entry forms 50p from Pursenalities. Prizes sponsored by WHSmith.
Weekend Stalls
There’s plenty to see and eat at the stalls over the festival weekend:
- Swanage Bay Fish
- Champagne & Oyster bar
- Paella – need we say more!
- Castle Inn – how many ways can you cook welks…
- Shell Bay – mouth watering Razor Clams with Tomato & Chilli Salsa
- Crab Apple – check out the Surf & Turf BBQ
- Scott Arms – who fancies Jerk Lobster & Prawns?
- Greyhound – Thai Seafood any one
- Lily Anne’s – Yummy Clotted Cream Scones
- RNLI – Refreshment Tent
- Purbeck Ice Cream – Who’s for Chilli Red?
- Peverils – Gone Crabbing clothing & accessories, along with their unique reversible skirts
- Chilli by the sea – Vintage, Craft & Chillis!
- Pursenalities – Beach Bags, Handbags, Cool bags and more…
- Purbeck Footprints – Will you be photographed at the weekend?
- Dockyard Glass – Recycled copper fish, Glass houses & Towers
- Winston Potter – Specialise in quality home & giftware
- Did some one say BAR? Yes SAMS Bar.. Open Saturday 11am – 11pm Sunday 11am – 5pm
- Anyone for Pimms o’ Clock? – Check out the Pimms Tent at the Rowing Club Saturday & Sunday
