Fun guaranteed at Horsham’s Piazza Italia

ROTARY EASTER BUNNY HUNT

The Rotary Club of Horsham’s Great Big Bunny Hunt runs until the end of the Easter holidays so children will get the chance to visit a range of shops in the town centre to look for ‘find the carrot’ cards to see if they have won a prize.

MILLAIS STUDENTS DESIGN POSTERS

To celebrate the forthcoming Piazza Italia, a group of Year 7 students, studying Italian at Millais school in Horsham, have used their Italian and ICT skills to produce a number of colourful posters to advertise the Easter festivities in Horsham.

These posters will be displayed in the empty shop next to White Stuff until the end of ‘Il Festival Italiano’. (picture attached)

LIFESTYLE EUROPE ON THE FORUM

Following the theme of ‘The Beautiful Seven’, there will be seven models from the Lifestyle range on the Forum (by Beales and TK Maxx) throughout the three day festival, with fantastic competitions and prizes to be won!

Lifestyle will be running a prize competition with Dominoes to win the use of a car for the weekend, with pizzas from Dominoes as a runner’s up prize.

HEART ANGELS OFFER CHANCE TO WIN A WHEELBARROW OF GOODIES

The Heart Angels will be in the Carfax on the Friday and Monday of Piazza Italia offering up the chance to win a fantastic wheelbarrow of Italian Deli produce provided by Carmela Deli and Italia in Piazza Italian market.

The winner of the prize will be announced on Monday.

SOUTH LODGE POP UP SHOP

Be sure to visit the pop up shop that South Lodge Hotel, located just outside Horsham and recent winner of the Gatwick Diamond Place to Meet Award, will be putting on inside Swan Walk Shopping Centre during the course of the three days to promote an open day at the hotel on Sunday 14 April.

The South Lodge team will be selling cakes, muffins, cupcakes, cookies, gingerbread men... all made by the talented brigade of pastry chefs at South Lodge Hotel. The shop, which is set to be opposite Marks & Spencer will have a seating area so visitors can rest their weary feet and enjoy their scrumptious purchases in peace and quiet!

South Lodge has been a long time supporter of the Piazza Italia event and once again this year, there will be around 100 Ferraris setting off from the hotel on Good Friday and the Super Cars and Alfa Romeos on Easter Monday.

Built in 1883, South Lodge Hotel is a magnificent, former family country house - the perfect place to relax, unwind and enjoy the finer things in life. Be sure to pop in and see them in the shop or alternatively, go along to their Open Day on Sunday 14 April!

LOOK OUR FOR THE MICHAEL CAINES ON SATURDAY

The Vines Mini Run will be back in Horsham on the Saturday of this year’s Piazza Italia. There will be a display in Market Square of their own ‘magnificent seven’ Mini models and look out for the ‘Michael Caines’ emerging from the arriving rally cars, who will be wearing specs courtesy of Specsavers.

GLOSSY PROGRAMMES ON SALE

Don’t forget to pick up a souvenir programme, produced by AAH Magazine, which will give visitors all the information they will need for the jam-packed weekend.

Priced at just £1, the programmes have lots of offers and discounts inside as well as information on timings, maps and much more. Copies are available from Battlequest Games and Carmela Deli in the Carfax, Horsham Museum, Horsham markets and across the weekend from the AAH stand next to the event control point in the Carfax. AAH is donating all proceeds from programme sales to Horsham Unlimited to help funding of next year’s event.

POP UP GARDENS

La Source of East Street, in association with its partners Evolution, will be creating pop up gardens in the amphitheatre area of the Carfax on Good Friday and Easter Monday. Visitors can come and see gardens created before their eyes and get tips about creating their own Italian style oasis.

Local artists Lucy Ames and Steve Gubbins will also be on hand in the East Street store to reveal more about their artistic creations.

PIAZZA POD – Piazza on Video

Don’t miss the chance to watch a promotional video for this year’s event, featuring interviews with sponsors La Source and Carmela as well as video footage from previous festivals.

The video was produced by Pure Brand Media and was commissioned by local businesses.

Watch the video here

REMEMBERING MIKE THE BIKE

David Hailwood, son of legendary motorbike rider Mike ‘Mike the Bike’ Hailwood, will be joining the Italian motorbike parade at Piazza Italia on Good Friday. The parade attracts up to 200 riders on bikes including Ducati, MV Agusta, Moto Guzzi and Benelli and all of the bikes and bike related stalls will be nestling around the Shelley Fountain at the end of West Street.

STAY SAFE DRIVING EXPERIENCE

Stay Safe Driving School will be at Swan Yard, next to Swan Walk, over all three days of Piazza Italia hosting driving skills training for people aged 14 to 17.

Very popular last year, the Under 17’s Driving Experience is an initiative by Stay Safe Driving School which aims to encourage earlier development of better driving skills and attitudes for tomorrow’s drivers.

ITALIAN SCOOTERS

The Italian superbikes grab the headlines, but a small army of Lambretta and Vespa bikes will add a touch of Mod style to the Carfax on Bank Holiday Monday.

GO KART PARTY

If all the cars give youngsters a taste for racing, they can try karting with ‘Go Kart Party’ on The Forum (outside Beales) on Good Friday and Easter Monday. The low speed electric karts are fitted with safety harnesses, are fully tested and are operated by trained professionals.

TOGA PARTY

Toga wearing and Roman makeovers will be on offer at La Vida Boutique in Piries Place throughout the three-day festival.

Visitors to the store can try on a toga in store in front of a Roman backdrop.

Photos taken of participants will be placed on La Vida’s Facebook page, and the person whose picture receives the most votes on the social networking website will be rewarded with a £50 voucher to spend at the leading fashion boutique.

ITALIAN MARKET

Italia in Piazza the glorious Italian market will take place throughout the festival in the Carfax where a selection of delicious Italian foods will be on offer for visitors to take advantage of and in association with the town’s very own Carmela Deli.

WEATHER

In the case of severe weather, the Council will endeavour to let people know as soon as possible if there are changes to the event schedule through the Piazza Italia website and Piazza Italia Facebook and Twitter pages @piazzaitalia7.

The event is organised by Horsham District Council in conjunction with many businesses and in aid of charities: Surrey & Sussex Air Ambulance (Good Friday), Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice (Easter Saturday) and The Children’s Trust (Easter Monday).

Sponsor Horsham Hearing Centre will also be handing out free earplugs at Piazza Italia, if needed, from its shared AAH stall in the Carfax.