One of Suffolk’s biggest carnivals gets under way tomorrow – with tens of of thousands of visitors expected to visit over its three days.
It is the 76th staging of Aldeburgh Carnival and the event will be full of spectacular fun and entertainment for all ages and is aiming high with the theme of Fly Me to the Moon.
Organisers are delighted to have recently won the EADT/EDP award for Best Family Tourism Event in Norfolk & Suffolk and say this year’s will again be geared towards all ages.
Saturday is music day and performers including Kocoa, the Rabble Chorus, Shingle Street Folk and the Pop Chorus will be playing at venues around the town, including the White Hart, Baptist Chapel, Cross Keys and Moot Hall Green.
There will be a lollipop hunt, petanque competition, and silent auction among other activities.
Sunday is the sports day with a 10k mini marathon, egg boat race, children’s races, plus Punch and Judy and a United Songs of Praise.
Then on Monday at 3.15pm it will be the big parade from the seafront and through the town.
Near the front of the procession will be the Carnival Court and this year all the carnival royalty are daughters of former carnival queens.
Taylor-Paige Briggs, 17, this year’s Carnival Queen is the daughter of the former Lisa Warner, who was Carnival Queen in 1984. Attendant Rosie Smith, 11, is the daughter of Sally Foyster, who led the procession in 1996, and attendant Holly Philpot, nine, is the daughter of Louise Tibbenham, who reigned in 2000.
The parade will also feature the Band of The King’s Division coming from Lancashire.
The day will also include an RNLI and Coastguard air-sea rescue demonstration, swimming races, music in the High Street, at 8.45pm a Chinese lantern procession from the High Street, and at 9.15pm a spectacular fireworks display from outside the White Lion Hotel.
Youngsters have been helping to publicise the event by taking part in a Carnival Poster Competition. Presenting the prizes to the top 12 entrants, the mayor John Digby complemented the young artists from Aldeburgh Primary School for making rocket science look easy with their designs on the theme. The posters have been displayed in shop windows throughout the town.
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