Events of the Year 2008

	Earl Mountbatten Classic Car Run A convoy of 75 beautifully preserved classic cars of all shapes and sizes made their way around the Island to raise as much money as possible for the Earl Mountbatten Hospice by seizing the attention of would-be contributors
	White Air Extreme Sports Festival With three days of great weather, a top class line up of extreme events, even more 'Have A Go' sports to try and a fantastic live music line up this year’s White Air succeeded in satisfying even the most hardy thrill seeker
	Cycling Festival Coming soon...
	International Charity Classic Car Show Extravaganza A passion for vintage vehicles and a resolve to raise money for Island charities brought fellow classic car enthusiasts together once again this year for a spectacular display of magnificent motors in both Newport and Ryde
	Little Britain Challenge Cup Regatta This year's event was the most successful since the yachting regatta's inception in 1988; more competitors than ever before attended the 21st anniversary event, with a total of 249 boats and over 3,000 participants and spectators
	Bestival It was arguably the wettest event to be staged on the Isle of Wight in living memory, but even mass flooding leading to a deluge of mud failed to dampen the spirits of upbeat Bestival-goers who partied on regardless

	Cowes-Torquay-Cowes Powerboat Race With perfect sea conditions and the sun shining on the Solent waters, the fleet of 37 boats taking part in the 2008 Cowes Classic Powerboat race left Cowes Yacht Haven and were off to a flying start by the time they reached Hurst Spit
	International Scooter Rally A deluge of scooter enthusiasts crammed onto the ferries and made their way to Ryde to be part of the world's largest scooter event and returning with them was the familiar sound of chugging engines and clusters of colourful characters
	Island Steam Show The August Bank Holiday weekend brought with it an exceptional opportunity for Islanders and visitors alike to experience all the fun of the fair and enjoy a series of top arena acts at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway
	Garlic Festival Some of the best names in musical talent were fused together with first-rate entertainment, the finest arts and crafts and of course the cream of local produce to create an unforgettable weekend that was enjoyed by everyone
	Skandia Cowes Week A total of 963 entries experienced some world-class racing and enjoyed an exciting and varied social scene off the water during the 182nd Cowes Week and the last with Skandia as its title sponsor
	Chale Show For the 82nd year people travelled from far and wide to the show ground at Chale to be a part of the most traditional and distinguished family summer show on the Island including an incredible display of horticultural exhibits

	Osborne House Summer Concerts Osborne House reprised its role as the top Island location for summer musical spectaculars this July by welcoming the King of British rock and the Queens of British pop to perform in its magnificent grounds to a packed audience
	Day Out With Thomas This popular family event was attended by hundreds of young fans of the top children's TV phenomenon and combined the excitement of meeting Thomas the Tank Engine and friends with clowns and many more fun activities
	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!