5 ways to celebrate Hat Day (formerly known as Melbourne Cup)

I'm a sucker for a dress up. No doubt about it. But when Melbourne Cup rolls around, and everyone's pulling out their fanciest hat and snazziest bow tie, I'm just over here like:

Because horse racing is nothing to celebrate. Sadly, a lot of people still don't know the shocking truth about horse racing ... what the industry refers to as 'wastage' ... and I refer to in words that I can't use in a blog. I'm talking about the thousands of horses that are killed every single year simply because they aren't winning races and making money. (Click here to expose the truth for yourself.)

So yeah, not getting dolled up for that BUT pretty much any other reason'll do -- It's a Tuesday? It's the 4th of November? I get a day off while my mates in other states have to work? Yep. Yep. Yep! (Sorry guys). So here's my top tips for how to celebrate November 4 minus the cruelty of horse racing ...

For all my fellow Melbournites, head down to Northcote for Eastment Street Derby -- "the race that stops a street!" -- an annual billy cart race on Cup Day. Check it:

Yes. Isaac Panaretos gives an awesomely accurate description of the day: "Some people race carts but most people drink long necks and stand in the way. Everyone else goes to the Melbourne Cup to take selfies for their tinder profiles." I know where I'd rather be ;)

[Pic thanks to Asher Floyd.]

Our friends at Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses (CPR) are hosting a picnic at the park opposite Flemington Racecourse.

• Cruelty-free BBQ ✔
• Animal friends welcome ✔
• Show racegoers that you don't need to bet on cruelty to have a good time ✔

Check out the FB event here.

Let's be honest, the best bits of Cup Day are the hats and the champagne. (Alcohol free of course!) So host a Hat Day party! Get your mates together, put a fake feather in your hair, clink glasses and if you're the gambling type, here's 10 bets you can make with your friends that you'll never lose :)

A lot of workplaces and even schools have sweeps on race day or place bets in other ways. Why not convince your work or school mates to put their coin towards helping animals this year instead of supporting cruelty?

You could all pitch in a few dollars, draw a name out of a hat to win a box of chocolates or some other prize, and then donate the rest to a charity of your choice. A donation to the Coalition for the Protection of Racehorses would go directly to campaigns to help race horses.

If you're in Adelaide, you're in luck because someone's already organised a NOT the Melbourne Cup fundraising event :) All the deets here.

It's pretty clear that there's heaps of ways to drop the cruelty of racing and still have an awesome day on Nov 4. So let your friends know too by sharing this silly hat cat on facey. Maybe with an invite to your cruelty-free party ;)

Have a happy Hat Day! Got another good idea for how to celebrate Nov 4 without cruelty? Leave us a comment :)

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