New Attraction Hare To Stay

Expect to see a new family of lithe and mysterious hares popping up around Chipping Norton in 2017.

The award-winning Cirencester March Hare Festival is now extending its reach to Chippy, and the hunt is on for local businesses and artists to get a piece of the action and train the spotlight on our lovely town.

Between March and September, the annual Cotswold festival features a Cotswold Hare Trail lined with beautiful and uniquely crafted giant hares.

Residents of every age are encouraged to take part in the festivities based in Cotswold towns and villages, which engage local people, encourage visitors from futher afield and raise money for charity.

With Chipping Norton joining the fun in 2017, a wealth of exciting possibilities exist for local traders to sponsor individual hares and Chippy artists to get involved in creating them.

Smartphone App

The Experience Chipping Norton (ECN) team will also feature the 2017 Chippy trail in their walking app, so it can be accessed and enjoyed by smartphone.

• Businesses: Sponsor one of the five-foot hares which will be auctioned for charity in October 2017 and reap the benefits of increased exposure and footfall. Or buy a small hare to display in your shop window or business.
• Artists: Apply to be a Hare Festival artist and decorate and name one of the hare sculptures in a totally distinctive way.
• Schools: Get involved as amateur artists and create a tiny hare of your own.

History becomes Hare-Story

The theme for the 2017 festival is the culture, history and heritage of the Cotswolds so the hares, both large and small, will be decorated in a way which reflects the area’s unique past.

The trail is free, with the Cirencester Festival – which began in 2014 with 50 five-foot hares – attracting visitors from around the country keen to walk the trail, find every hare hidden around the town and stamp a ‘passport’ each time they spot one of the intriguing models.

Cirencester now has a selection of hare sculptures which have become a permanent feature of the town.

Chipping Norton, in joining the festival, has the chance to create its own ‘Chippy hares’ for everyone to enjoy.

Don’t be shy

The more people and businesses who get involved locally, the more successful the Chipping Norton hare trail will be and the more likely it is to become an annual fixture.

Latest figures show that the number of overseas visitors and staycations is on the rise in the Cotswolds, so it makes sense to play a part in this major tourist attraction.

For more information, contact Festival Director Florence Beetlestone.