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Somerset Carnivals

Somerset's Mardi Gras!

Between the end of September and mid November, the streets of many Somerset towns and villages are an exciting blaze of colour as the Somerset Illuminated Carnivals take place.

These processions of illuminated lorries (called 'carts' or 'floats') are part of an ancient tradition which stretches back as far as the 1600s when many parts of Somerset commemorated the Gunpowder Plot. Grand fireworks displays and street entertainment adds to the sense of fiesta and fun.

The floats can be huge, over 50 feet long and covered in hundreds of lightbulbs. Dwarfing the streets, these magnificent edifices drawing awe and wonder from the crowds are the results of months of work by the Carnival Clubs. These spectacular events can be hard to describe and you really do need to see them to believe them!

Some of the carnivals are larger than others but even in the smaller ones, the 'walking entries' provide entertainment and often much hilarity!

The dates for the 2009 Somerset Carnivals are shown below: -

Note: They usually start around 7pm and finish around 10pm

26 Sep (Sat) 7:00pm Frome
26 Sep (Sat) 7:30pm Wellington
03 Oct (Sat) 7:15pm Ilminster
10 Oct (Sat) 7:15pm Chard
17 Oct (Sat) 7:00pm Taunton
06 Nov (Fri) 7:00pm Bridgwater
07 Nov (Sat) 7:00pm North Petherton
09 Nov (Mon) 7:30pm Burnham-on-Sea / Highbridge
11 Nov (Wed) 7:30pm Shepton Mallet
12 Nov (Thu) 7:15pm Midsomer Norton
13 Nov (Fri) 7:30pm Wells
14 Nov (Sat) 7.00pm Glastonbury
16 Nov (Mon) 7:15pm Weston-super-Mare

Further information on Somerset and South West carnivals can be found on the following websites:

www.somersetcarnivals.co.uk/events.asp
or
www.southwestcarnivals.com