With less than two months to go, carnival sheds around the county are a hive of activity. Bulbs are being prepared, carts painted and all manner of colourful costumes created
Somerset Carnivals are the highlight of the year around here, and one of the most exciting displays of amateur entertainment anywhere in the world. There are various organised Somerset carnivals every year, some with over a hundred brilliantly lit and decorated carts, and walking entries and exotically dressed performers from the local carnival clubs.
The carnivals operate on a circuit, travelling from town to town. The processions of illuminated floats are part of an ancient tradition, which stretches back as far as the 1600’s when many parts of Somerset commemorated the Gunpowder plot. Grand firework displays and street entertainment adds to the sense of fiesta and fun. MORE: Where you can take on the county’s greatest eating challenges1
The floats can be huge, over 50 feet long and covered in hundreds of light bulbs. Dwarfing the streets, these magnificent edifices draw awe and wonder from the crowds and are the results of months of work in secret by the Carnival Clubs.
The Guy Fawkes Carnivals this year start, appropriately, on Friday November 5 in Bridgwater.
The ingenuity and design skills of the carnival clubs will take your breath away. Whichever carnival you choose, check the route, arrive early as some roads may be closed, dress warm, be prepared for big crowds and a show lasting several hours.
Above all, bring plenty of loose change to donate better to throw a few pounds into a collecting float than spend on a plastic flashing toy. It’s all done for charity, and it’s a free show, so please give generously.
Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival
Bridgwater2 is the daddy of them all. One of the world’s largest illuminated winter carnival processions, and over two hours long, this is the only carnival to be followed by the old tradition of ‘Squibbing’ where the squibbers hold exploding fireworks on long poles es part of the procession..
The parade starts at 7pm
Park and Ride services will operate from 2pm on carnival day with parking located just off J23 of the M5 (British Car Auctions) J24 of the M5 at the services and from 11am at the Morrison’s Distribution Centre, from close to J23. Park and Ride charges are 5 per car plus 1 per adult travelling. This is much easier than looking for town centre car parks. Buses will run from the site entrance to the town centre returning after the procession picking you up from the position you were dropped off.
This service will be
Official Bridgwater Carnival car parks are at the following locations:-
Angel Place Shopping Centre, ASDA, Bridgwater College, Bridgwater Hospital, Bridgwater Retail Park, Morrison’s, St Matthew’s Field and B&M. Parking costs 5. Many of these car parks have parking bays for blue badge holders and are used on a first come first used basis. Council Car Parks will be operational at Market Street and Barclay Street
The car parks are run in the main jointly between the Carnival and local charities.
Visitors are advised to use the official car parks, there have been incidents in the past when cars parked on private land and were clamped and were charged several hundred pounds to get their cars released.
Highbridge and Burnham-on-Sea Carnival will be the second of the year on Monday November 7. Carts will start to arrive in Burnham in the small hours of Sunday morning and park up on Queens Drive and Frank Foley Parkway this is an ideal opportunity for the clubs to make those all important tweaks to their design that might have been needed at Bridgwater.
Taking the opportunity for a walk along Queens Drive to see the carts in daylight on Sunday is always popular, as is the towns’ massive Esplanade firework show on Sunday night before Carnival starting between 6.30 and 7pm. Getting into the centre of town can be tricky, because of the closure of Queens Drive, and those driving in are advised to travel along Burnham Road and Marine Drive, where most of the parking is located. Be careful to make sure you pick a location you can exit from easily if you plan to leave before the carnival comes to an end.
The show starts at 7.30pm and can take up to three hours to get to the end. Watching the carts go up the High Street is the best place to view, with the closeness of the buildings adding to the atmosphere and providing a little shelter if the weather is poor.
MORE: See the best family attractions in Somerset4
Weston-super-Mare
After Highbridge and Burnham carnival has a few days off, before moving to Weston-super-Mare on Friday November 11. The parade though the town is always spectacular, but it’s exposed position can make it uncomfortable if the weather closes in.
The Beach Lawns are being made available for car parking from noon at a cost of 5 per car. Visitors can reach Beach Lawns by following the Coach Route Parking as far as the Sea Front. This will take you to the Beach Lawns area.
MORE: A stunning gallery of pics from Weston Carnival 20155
Visitors are also advised to take advantage of on-street parking where possible and enjoy a leisurely stroll into town. If you are not planning an overnight stay in Weston and are planning to leave after the procession it would be advisable to perhaps delay your exit and enjoy a drink, snack or meal. This may save you sitting in traffic if everyone attempts to leave together.
MORE: Carnival results 20156
Town Centre roads will close at 6pm (prompt) to secure the procession route. Coach Route Directional Signage avoids these closures, so please follow the signed route
Procession commences at 7.15pm
There is a street collection and visitors are asked to give generously to official collectors.
North Petherton Carnival is the fourth stop on the Guy Fawkes Carnival circuit with many large and colourful floats taking part. North Petherton celebrates its 67th year of Carnival in 2016 and will take place on November 12.
North Petherton’s route, through the centre of the village on a largely straight road is a great way to see the carts in all their glory and the event is hugely popular with visitors and locals alike.
MORE: 96 pictures from North Petherton Carnival7
In recent years a grandstand provided by the Pentathlon Carnival Club has offered an enhanced view of our Carnival Procession and this facility will be offered again this year. Tickets for the grandstand cost 14 in advance or 17 on the night if available.
Visit http://www.northpethertoncarnival.org.uk/grandstand/8 for details
Car Parking is available various sites especially around Huntworth Roundabout and Junction 24 of the M5 motorway. Moto Services are supporting the event as are Gadsby’s and J24 the Market Centre (Huntworth side). Please do not park on the route, or between the line up area and the start of the route.
Shepton Mallet Carnival is on Wednesday November 16 starting at 7.30pm.
Build up to the Shepton Mallet9 event will start on Monday November 14 with Field View & Cannards Grave Road closed from 9pm until Midnight on November 16 for the parking of carts.
MORE: 30 great Carnival pictures10
Parking for vehicles without private drives in Cannards Grave Road has been made available at the Council offices for night time only during this time.
The procession route is along Cannards Grave Road, Townsend, Old Market Road, Commercial Road, Paul Street & Charlton Road. On Carnival night parking will be available at Tesco’s at the Townsend Retail Park From 4.30 pm.
Many locals say the best place to watch carnival is at a location close to the Tesco store where you will get an excellent view as the cart progress down Cannards Grave Road. To get the full impact of the music and spectacle, try a town centre site close to the Shrubbery Hotel. The carnival committee in Shepton always like to add a little something extra to the show, and after the success last year’s ‘Thunder Sticks’ they are preparing something special for this year.
Video from Glastonbury
Road closures for the procession are from 6.45 pm, but access to Tesco car park from West Shepton only, will remain open during the Carnival with the exit towards West Shepton on the B3161 being your route available. All cars have to be removed by 10.30 pm, when Tesco’s security will have their barriers in place.
Shepton Mallet has three other central public Car Parks: Haskins Car Park (by kind permission), the Old Market Road Car Park and The Great Ostry Car Park. These are all available for parking with the usual fees being charged until 6pm.
MORE: FInd a local orchard to explore with our interactive map11
If coming into town from the east avoid the crowds and congestion at the start of the procession by parking at Dobbies Car Park and then walk to watch carnival at about 8.15 pm at the Charlton Cross Roads or Whitstone Road where you will be able to watch in comfort. Visitors are asked not to park on the roads around the Tadley Acres estate. The 2016 Wells Carnival will be on Friday November 18 and is a spectacle not to be missed.
The huge floats make their way slowly through the medieval streets of Wells12 intertwined with street performers with highly inventive and stunning costumes. The blaze of colourful lights, music, dancing and beautifully tailored costumes on these floats creates a unique and exciting atmosphere in the city’s streets and there is always the added excitement of wondering if they will make it round the corner of Sadler Street and into the High Street.
There is also a fun fair in the market place, so there is lots to do while you wait for the carts to arrive at your preferred viewing spot. Best places to watch are in the area around the Little Theatre and Tucker Street, or anywhere along the High Street.
Wells’ picturesque nature means that many coach parties from around the country make the city the preferred destination for visitors
The carts park up on East Somerset Way after Shepton Mallet, with access to the city for motorists from the east along the B3139 Constitution Hill. Parking can be an issue, with few official car parks apart from those provided by the local authority, and the circular route around the city closing off much of the centre. But the atmosphere more than makes up for it.
Glastonbury Chilkwell Carnival
After Wells the carts make their way to Glastonbury13 for the final show which has a fierce rivalry with Bridgwater and often claims its show is the biggest. Glastonbury is also the home of Carnival Park, where many of the carts are built, which partly explains the passion with which the town embraces the event.
The show starts at Northload Roundabout and makes its way through the town, past Morrisons, and makes its final; spectatcular procession up the high street to finish on Wells Road. Glastonbury is well served with car parking along the route.
Most visitors from Street and the surrounding villages tend to watch from the area around Tor Leisure to take advantage of the easy walk home while people from Glastonbury and the tourists take the High Street or Wells Road option. The High Street has a fabulous atmosphere, and standing at Chaingate means you see the carts come around the roundabout and get a great view of them side on.
MORE: 30 pictures of Glastonbury carnival14
Parking is available at he football club, Dyehouse Lane, B&Q/Tesco Morrisons, the abbey and off Butleigh Road. Glastonbury’s popularity means the streets are packed, so if you have children the best place is probably around Leg of Mutton Road where the crowds are really thin, so you always get a good view.
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References
- ^ Where you can take on the county’s greatest eating challenges (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
- ^ Bridgwater (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
- ^ 30 great pictures from Bridgwater Carnival (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
- ^ See the best family attractions in Somerset (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
- ^ A stunning gallery of pics from Weston Carnival 2015 (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
- ^ Carnival results 2015 (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
- ^ 96 pictures from North Petherton Carnival (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
- ^ http://www.northpethertoncarnival.org.uk/grandstand/ (www.northpethertoncarnival.org.uk)
- ^ Shepton Mallet (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
- ^ 30 great Carnival pictures (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
- ^ FInd a local orchard to explore with our interactive map (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
- ^ Wells (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
- ^ Glastonbury (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
- ^ 30 pictures of Glastonbury carnival (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
- ^ ENTERTAINMENT NEWS (www.somersetlive.co.uk)
- ^ HOMEPAGE (www.somersetlive.co.uk)