Westward Ho! Ho! Ho! is our family celebration a few days before Christmas. We hold this one every year to kick off the festive season with some Westward Ho! spirit and style. It is held in the village centre, this year, with a fun run going up the beach. We aim to make this event more of a traditional celebration with a sporting twist!
It includes Bideford Brass Band, both Churches, elves, Father Christmas, carols, fancy dress, music and an optional fun run!
What to expect-
Want to start Christmas off in style? Join Peter & Bob, Visit Westward Ho!, Westward Ho! Baptist Church, The Holy Trinity Church and Bideford Brass Band for the Westward Ho! Ho! Ho! event complete with the community "Big Sing" and back once more..."The Sandy Santa Run".
3.00pm Sandy Santa Fancy Dress Fun Run registration. Either buy your tickets online HERE , can be brought at Ho! Surf, on the village Green, Westward Ho! We encourage pre registration but can accept runners on the day too. Cost is £10 per entry but does INCLUDE a Sandy Sandy 2024 limited edition T-Shirt!
3.00pm - 6.00pm Arts and Crafts with Kate. Kate will be hosting a kids area complete with arts and crafts to keep the little ones happy.
3.30pm Sandy Santa Fancy Dress Fun Run. Choose either a 2k or 5k course, fancy dress is a MUST! It's all about fun, running with friends and getting back into the village. Once back we have live music, Santa, Comedy and many other surprises too.
4.30pm - 5.30pm The Hoodoo Man. How can we describe Ian? Best known for singing under Rotherham bridge in Torrington. He started in lockdown and gained many fans that just melted into his music videos, a bit of normality with a dash of Ian thrown in, what's not to love? Since then he has played in a band plus on his own. Hoodoo is a perfect choice for this event, a bit special, a bit good and an awesome guy. Ian will be on stage in the Guillemot Gardens.
4.45pm - 6.45pm Last chance to meet the big man himself before he prepares the reindeer for a very long, hard nights work. Santa will be in his grotto complete with his slightly naughty, mischievous elf! The Grotto will be in the event area, come along and find the magic of Christmas.
6.00pm to 7.00pm - The Big Sing - Join Peter & Bob from Visit Westward Ho! entertainments team, Jules from Holy Trinity Church, Tim from the Westward Ho! Baptist Church complete with Bideford Brass Band to bust out some Christmas Carols around the large Christmas tree in The Guillemot Gardens. This is just a great community get together and a chance to sing with fellow villagers. A brilliant start to the festive celebrations and cracking end to our evening.
Westward Ho! is the most amazing venue for many sports with it's wide open beaches, fresh air and spirit. As part of the Westward Ho! Ho! we will be hosting the second ever Westward Ho! Sandy Santa 5 or 2k fancy dress fun run.
Starting on the Village Green by the event area then running along the beach then back into the village to the finish line.
This will help blow away the cobwebs and get you ready for Christmas Westward Ho! style. Prizes? Riches? Fame? No! All runners have an awesome time with us then are presented with a Sandy Santa limited edition T-Shirt. Cost is ONLY £10 and this INCLUDES your limited edition Sandy Santa 2024 T-Shirt.
2019 Was the only Sandy Santa Run due to events stopping because of Covid,
last time we had 91 runners enter, we want more this year! You have the choice of the 5k or 2k beach route, this run is based around fun! Runners MUST wear fancy dress, the more outlandish the better! We want to be different from the normal runs, we want extra Westward Ho! spirit in this run...
Video beside/below is the 2019 Sandy Santa.
What Christmas would be complete without Father Christmas? The Westward Ho! Ho! Ho! event is no different!
4.45pm - 6.45pm is your last chance to meet the big man himself before he prepares the reindeer for a very long, hard nights work. Santa will be in his grotto complete with his slightly naughty, mischievous elf! The Grotto will be in the event area, come along and find the magic of Christmas with us as you #visitwestwardho!.
