The theme for this year’s parade is ‘Classic Stories – Old and New’. Expect to see a wide range of characters celebrated, from established favourites such as Roald Dahl’s witless, ‘The Twits’, J.K Rowling’s wizard wonder, Harry Potter, and Julia Donaldson’s heroic flying doctor, ‘Zog’, to emerging classics including ‘The Boy at the Back of the Class’, by Onjali Q Raúf, ‘War Horse’, by Michael Morpurgo, and ‘Wonder’, by R.J. Palacio.

The carnival atmosphere will be taken to the max with infectious beats, provided by Boom Tribe, Brighton School of Samba and other music groups, to get the paraders and the audiences dancing in the street.

This year, the parade is proud to be ending in Horsham Park to mark the opening of the Rotary Club of Horsham centenary celebration Funday Sunday (bit.ly/RotaryClubEvents).

Parade organiser Aleida Strowger, Founder of Community Arts Organisation, Happy Accidents, said: 

“J.K. Rowling said: “There’s always room for a story that can transport people to another place.” We love that quote and intend to do just that through the school’s magnificent parade models – transport the audience to another place full of magic and wonder.

Reading stories that transport children to another place helps them to experience another person’s perspective, to gain knowledge about life issues and travel in their imaginations to far flung lands. Thankfully, our brilliant local libraries and schools make it easy to get hold of a great book to get lost in.

With such a wealth of amazing classic stories available, choosing the books to be celebrated in the parade was tricky. The aim of the parade is to showcase the broad diversity in subjects, characters and authors loved by young readers.

It is a pleasure and privilege to work with our creative and enthusiastic Horsham District schools and with community arts organisation, Same Sky, the production and creative engine behind the parade. Everyone works extremely hard to ensure that this is a well-organised, fun and inspiring event for the whole community to enjoy.

At the 2019 and 2022 parades, hundreds of people lined the route to wave and cheer the parade on from its start at Denne at to its end at Horsham Park – we’re looking forward 

to seeing the same community spirit this year.

Massive thanks to our sponsors London Gatwick and our supporters Arts Council England and Horsham District Council whose belief in the project and its value to the schools and the wider community has made it possible again this year.”

The parade takes place on Sunday 9 July 2023, 11am-12noon, from Denne Parade to Horsham Park, and is FREE TO WATCH!