Horsham Piazza Italia 2019: Timetable of events and all you need to know about this year's festival

Horsham is gearing up to enjoy a taste of Italy this Easter weekend when the popular Piazza Italia festival returns for a 13th year.
La Ferrari Premier GT Race paddock will be Parkside on Easter Monday. Picture: Toby Phillips PhotographyLa Ferrari Premier GT Race paddock will be Parkside on Easter Monday. Picture: Toby Phillips Photography
La Ferrari Premier GT Race paddock will be Parkside on Easter Monday. Picture: Toby Phillips Photography

Two very different vehicle presentations are set to take place, with Good Friday devoted to Italian cars and bikes while Easter Monday will only feature Supercars with around 100 vehicles on display.

The free-to-attend event will also host a fantastic selection of Italian food, drink and themed entertainments on both days – which this year have been bolstered by Horsham District’s Year of Culture programme.

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Entertainers over the two days include English National Opera star Jo Appleby performing as a duet on Easter Monday, roving singers and accordion players and Hetty and the Jazzato Band as Monday’s bandstand finale.

La Ferrari Premier GT Race paddock will be Parkside on Easter Monday. Picture: Toby Phillips PhotographyLa Ferrari Premier GT Race paddock will be Parkside on Easter Monday. Picture: Toby Phillips Photography
La Ferrari Premier GT Race paddock will be Parkside on Easter Monday. Picture: Toby Phillips Photography

Responding to demand there will be an even greater range of Italian style street food, as well as the Italian partnership market by Simon Faro and Panino’s Giovanni’s Foods.

Tastings of a range of Italian wines, aperitifs and liqueurs will take place at Carfax businesses; Panino’s, The Horsham Cellar and Carmela’s Deli.

New for 2019, some of Horsham’s best known fashion and beauty stores will have a range of Piazza Italia inspired offers and experiences, including bath bomb making at the Little Luxuries Company, a free scarf with qualifying purchase in Gerry Weber and the exclusive Cadenza Cashmere range at Sienna Rocks - all in Swan Walk Shopping Centre.

An Italian market will be held in the Carfax on both Good Friday and Easter Monday.  Picture: Toby Phillips PhotographyAn Italian market will be held in the Carfax on both Good Friday and Easter Monday.  Picture: Toby Phillips Photography
An Italian market will be held in the Carfax on both Good Friday and Easter Monday. Picture: Toby Phillips Photography
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The Kwik Fit Road Safety Zone returns in the Carfax with the Pirelli Formula One simulator – a life-size replica of a Grand Prix racing car, as seen at the Formula One British Grand Prix at Silverstone, alongside new car displays of FIAT 500s by Bunny Motors and Alfa Romeos from Bishops of Guildford.

The Sporting Bears will return on both days, based in Brock Taylor, Market Square, giving Piazza visitors ride-out opportunities in some exciting cars in exchange for charity donations.Horsham Scooter Safety will add some variety at Piazza Italia by arranging a mobility scooter-manoeuvring course on The Forum. Members of the public will be encouraged to ride a scooter and help to spread the word about the safety sessions that are offered for scooter users.

As in 2017, Easter Saturday is not a Piazza Italia event day. In addition to some great Easter Saturday Markets, Bensons’ Fun on the Forum and the Rotary Scalextric in Swan Walk will run all three Easter days with Messy Easter by Horsham Churches Together adding fun for little ones in Swan Walk on Easter Saturday only.

Horsham Piazza Italia always supports a number of charities through collections, activities and awareness building and 2019 is no exception, with five charities involved.

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Chestnut Tree House Children’s Hospice will be collecting on Friday, SERV Sussex will be at the evnt on Monday, The Children’s Trust will be promoting their June 1 Goodwood supercar event in Market Square on Monday, The Italian Job.com will be collecting on Friday and Horsham Rotary Easter Bunny Hunt Trail and Slot car racing will be in Swan Walk all Easter weekend.

What’s on Good Friday?Following some early vehicle arrivals, Horsham Churches Together will stage its Walk of Witness from town churches to the 11.10am Good Friday service at the Carfax Bandstand.

Always well-attended, the service brings home the story of Easter and offers a treat of hot cross buns for service goers.

Good Friday’s Carfax display will put Lamborghinis centre stage again thanks to HR Owen and their customers.

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2019 will also welcome Italian motorbikes and scooters in the Market Square and outside ASK Italian restaurant respectively.

Alfa Romeo’s will have their own display in East Street with the ever popular classic FIAT 500’s taking up position on the Crown pub corner.

A small display of FIAT coupes and Abarths is planned for the Forum alongside Benson’s funfair rides.

On the Carfax, a new feature ‘Crates Classics’, will showcase a number of interesting vehicles including brace of rare vintage Lancia Dilambdas one of them built for The Maharaja of Mysore in 1929.

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No Horsham Piazza Italia is complete without event friends, The ItalianJob.Com, a charity for whom 2019 is a very special year.

This is the charity’s 30th anniversary, the 60th anniversary of the first Mini and the 50th Anniversary of the iconic first film. ‘The Jobbers’ who rally to or from Italy every year have raised over £2.5 million since 1990 for children’s causes, will bring their special brand of Mini mayhem to the Bishopric with parades through Carfax on the way in and out.

The organisers are delighted that Horsham’s new Everyman cinema in Piries Place have chosen to support the The Jobbers with special screenings of the original film on Good Friday and Easter Monday afternoons.

Good Friday Timetable:

Carfax

- Chestnut Tree House - 10 am – 4pm

- Sponsor displays and Italian Market - 10am – 4pm

- Crates Classics – Vintage Italian Cars - 10am – 3.30pm

- Kwik Fit Road Safety Zone, and Pirelli F1 Simulator -10am – 4pm

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- Lamborghini & Classic FIAT 500 display - 12.30pm – 3.30 pm

Market Square & ASK

- Italian Bikes & Scooters - 12.30pm – 3.30pm

Bishopric

- Horsham General Market - 10am – 4pm

- The Italian Job Minis - 10am – 3.15pm

- East Street - Alfa Romeos & Lancias - 12.30pm – 3.15pm

Forum

- Bensons Fun on the Forum - 10am – 4pm

- FIAT Coupes & Abarths - 10am – 3.15pm

What’s on Easter Monday?On Easter Monday, Premier GT are taking their involvement in Piazza Italia to the next level by booking in cars for every display location, East Street, Market Square, Bishopric and the Carfax as well as their own Parkside Race Paddock. A real first for Horsham, this eclectic mix of top car talent will make for a very exciting display.

Aside from showcasing some of the most amazing cars of the day, a handful of hyper cars are promised at The Parkside Race Paddock (next to the Black Jug Pub), the area will have a simulator driving competition and electric go-karts for kids.

Easter Monday Timetable:

Carfax

- Sponsor displays and Italian Market - 10am – 4pm

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- Kwik Fit Road Safety Zone, and Pirelli F1 Simulator - 10am – 4pm

- Premier GT Supercar display - 11am – 3.15pm

East Street

- Premier GT Supercar display - 10am – 3.15pm

Forum

- Bensons Fun on the Forum - 10am – 4pm

Market Square

- The Supercar Event display by The Children’s Trust Charity - 10am – 3.15pm

Parkside

- Premier GT Race Paddock Display - 11am – 3.15pm

- Children’s activities with Go Karts, race simulators - 11am – 3.15pm

Bishopric

- Premier GT Supercar display - 10.30am – 3.15pm

To find out more about the event visit www.horshamtimewellspent.co.uk or find Pizza Italia on Facebook.

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Piazza Italia in Horsham 2019 - everything you need to know
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