"Residents and visitors can expect everything from the finest food and gifts on sale at the forthcoming town events, in addition to some amazing live entertainment and family activities," said Deputy Town Mayor and Vice-Chair of the Communities Committee, Cllr Anne Marie Ricketts. "Big community events such as these, whether wholly or jointly organised and sponsored by the Town Council, attract traders and visitors from across the region and the various spring and summer events coming soon will be no exception!"
"Whilst there are further arrangements to be made for the events, we are confident that they will be well received by the public and provide fun for all the family."
VE Day 80th Anniversary Celebrations
More live entertainment acts, exhibitions and market traders have been added to the line-up of activities for the Town Council's 'grand celebration' to mark the 80th Anniversary of VE Day (Victory in Europe).
Taking place in the town centre on Saturday 10th May from 9am to 2.30pm, the aim of the event is to recreate the elation and joy of the street parties that marked the original VE Day and end of World War Two in Europe on 8th May 1945, and to bring the community together in remembrance, reflection and celebration.
The event will feature a market in Vicarage Field and an assortment of live entertainment has been arranged, courtesy of music acts Miss Peggy Rose and The Jackettes. Local dance school Sjaan Dance Academy will be taking part in the celebrations, and an area will be created with seating in Vicarage Field for people to dance to 1940s-style music.
Pupils from Grovelands Community Primary School's choir club will also be providing entertainment, plus there will be a classic vehicle display in the High Street and an exhibition of photos and wartime memorabilia in Vicarage Field, courtesy of the Hailsham Historical Society.
Streets of Hailsham
Outdoor entertainment event 'Streets of Hailsham', hosted by Wealden District Council, will be making a much-anticipated comeback and will coincide with the bi-monthly street market taking place on Saturday 17th May, from 8.30am to 1pm.
Vicarage Field will be home to a range of street market stalls, scheduled alongside various street entertainment acts in the High Street from 11.30am-2.30pm.
The event will feature entertainment including Nutkhut DJs (larger than life roving, stilt-walking superstar DJs), Dizzy O'Dare - Falconry Display (turning a traditional display into a comedy show) and Circle of Two - Bambolina and Dodo (a magical silent show combining acrobatics, mime, slapstick, circus, theatre and puppetry).
Also performing for the public will be The Fire Fighters (entertaining with a 10ft ladder and pole - and performing acrobatics, comedy and slapstick humour), as well as Inside Out Theatre with Active Arts and stilt walker Dolly Delicious.
Hailsham Community Run 2025
Taking place on Sunday 18th May from 9am, organisers are confident that the next Hailsham Community Run will be bigger, even better and top the success of the previous run, where 772 people participated in and completed the 10k, 5k, 3k or all-inclusive 1-mile races.
Registration for participants open via www.hailshamcommunityrun.co.uk. The target number of participants in the run this year is 1,000. Information on individual running events is now available:
1-Mile Race: Start time - 10am | Sponsored by Alinker and Colston | 1-Mile course map
3k Race: Start time - 9.30am | Sponsored by Hailsham Town Council | 3k course map
5k Race: Start time - 10.30am | Sponsored by The Royal Indian | 5k course map
10k Race: Start time - 10.30am | Sponsored by Hallmark Glazed Extensions | 10k course map
The Town Council's funding allocation of £6,000 for the 3K race will go towards the purchase of medals, as well as the provision of licences, event planning expenses and other associated costs.
Sussex Day
Hailsham Town Council is bringing the community together to celebrate this year's Sussex Day, with an event taking place in Vicarage Field on Saturday 21st June, from 8.30am to 1pm.
Celebrating all things Sussex, the event will feature a range of market stalls selling locally produced items and an entertainment line-up including maypole dancing by local brownies and a live performance by folk band Ceol Na Mara.
The Sussex Day extravaganza is a free community event and will showcase what Hailsham and the surrounding area has to offer, including live music, food, craft stalls and more!
The event aims to showcase many of the things that makes the county - and indeed Hailsham - good with a wide range of stalls, activities and live entertainment from the local area on the day.
Stand Proud in Hailsham 2025
Further plans and a schedule of activities and entertainment have been confirmed for this year's 'Stand Proud in Hailsham' event, which takes place at the White Hart in Horsebridge in support of Pride Month in June.
Project organisers will be hosting a special event with festival vibes on Saturday 28th June from noon until midnight. The event is being held to bring the whole community together to celebrate equality, friendship, diversity and inclusivity in Hailsham.
Featuring a variety of live entertainment, the event will include music from acts such as pop, rock and indie band 'Supersaurus', soft rock and upbeat blues singer 'Moss Casa' and cover band 'Hot Parrots'.
Also featured is drag vocalist and comedian Fonda Cox as the headline act, children's entertainer Awesome Alfie and DJ Neil Povey kicking off proceedings - playing an 80s music selection and closing the event before midnight.
There will also be a Rainbow Bingo session, children's facepainting and hot bar food available from 1pm to 9pm.
Entry is free, and children are invited to attend the event from the start at midday until the 7pm watershed.
The Town Council is supporting Stand Proud in Hailsham for the second consecutive year by part-funding the event.