Things you need to know about the 99th Pony Swim

The 99th annual Chincoteague Pony Swim and Auction will take place Wednesday and Thursday.

The weather forecast could affect the event with a 50% chance of showers and possibly a thunderstorm during the morning and early afternoon hours Wednesday.

The Pony Swim – 12pm – 1pm window is  when “slack tide” occurs.– The Chincoteague Ponies will swim across allthe Assateague Channel, led by the Saltwater Cowboys, just south of Veterans Memorial Park (7427 Memorial Park Dr.) on the east side of Chincoteague Island called Pony Swim Lane.

Allen Hamilton will be on the scene with live updates on WESR.

Folks wishing to view the swim from Pony Swim Lane are advised to wear appropriate attire—old clothing and closed toe shoes or muck boots—as this area is very muddy and has oyster shells.

There is no charge by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company or Town of Chincoteague for parking or viewing Pony Swim. There is no public parking at Veteran’s Memorial Park. All those seeking handicap parking and all day-trippers are encouraged to go to the Municipal Center (6150 Community Drive) and catch the free shuttle. There will be a handicap accessible bus for your convenience. Those staying on the island may catch a shuttle bus near their lodging.

Charter boats and kayak tours/rentals are also available for watching the Pony Swim. Call the chamber office at 757-336-6161 for assistance in finding available seats. Spaces fill up quickly so don’t wait until the last minute.

The first foal to come ashore will be named King or Queen Neptune and will be given away in a raffle drawing at the carnival grounds bandstand at 7pm. Tickets are sold each night at the carnival and during the wait time for the swim. You must have a ticket and you must be present to win.

After swimming the short distance across the channel, the ponies will rest for approximately 45 minutes to an hour before “parading” to the carnival grounds on Main Street.

See shuttle bus map for parade route. Trolley Service – 3pm – 11pm. Last call at 10:45pm in front of Carnival Grounds. 1pm – 5pm FREE. 5pm – 11pm $0.50/ride. Carnival – 7pm – 11pm.

Neptune Pony Raffle drawing at the carnival bandstand at 7:30pm. You must be present to win.

The two day event continues on Thursday with the pony auction at the Carnival Grounds starting at 8 a.m. and lasting to approximately 12 noon. There will be live updates on WESR.

At this time the forecast for Thursday is cloudy with a chance of showers and thunderstorms mostly after 2 pm.  The forecast is long range at this time and monitor weather sources for updated information  Wednesday and Thursday mornings.