Hastings Old Town Week is an annual summer event celebrated in the Old Town of Hastings, East Sussex. The Old Town week typically occurs during the first week of August and is officially opened with the raising of the flag at the flag pole next to
The Shipwreck Museum. During the week events such as Whelk Eating , Old Town Crier Competition and the Good Old Bike Race.
The week ends with the Old Town Carnival procession, which contains 'floats', dancers, majorettes and marching bands and ends with a firework display in the evening.
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The carnival was first started in 1969 after Old Town residents felt the original Hastings Carnival should have included the Old Town in its route and decided to set up their own carnival.
The Old Town event gradually got more popular and bigger, whilst the Hastings event became less popular and eventually stopped. As a parting gift the Old Town organisers were allowed to title the Carnival Queen "Miss Hastings". In 2018, the Carnival Court was rebranded the Sea Court and expanded to include a King, who carries the title Mr Hastings.