June Barnes, chair of Frome Carnival, said she is thrilled at the interest being shown this year and wants to continue building on last year’s success.
“The carnival is a great event for Frome, and it is about everyone coming together and having fun,” she said. “It’s also a chance for so many volunteers in the town to show off their creativity, whether it’s through their carpentry and artwork or their costume making and performance.
“We are hoping to get a good number of entries and we have been delighted to receive financial support from individuals and businesses in the town. In particular, we are grateful to Kevin Corcoran Carpet & Vinyls for their support and also Rainbow Carpet Cleaners and FDC Law.
“We are hoping that the public will be generous on the day. All the money from the carnival goes back into the town, supporting local charities.”
There will be an afternoon children’s procession starting at 2.30pm and the evening procession will start at 7.00pm.
The afternoon children’s procession will take a reverse route to previous years. Starting at Victoria Park, it will take a route down Somerset Road, into Butts Hill, along Wesley Slope, into Christchurch Street, to Weymouth Road, before making its way back into Victoria Park.
Illuminated procession
The illuminated evening procession begins at the junction of The Butts and Manor Road. It continues towards Butts Hill, goes along Wesley Slope, along Bath Street and Market Place, through North Parade, continues along Berkley Road and Badgers Hill before finishing at the football ground.
Motorists are being warned of delays during the processions, including a number of road closures. Those travelling in and around Frome are asked to read road signs and follow diversions.
June added, “Last year we got a magnificent response from the crowds which saw our collection go up by thousands of pounds. We are extremely grateful and hope to repeat and build on it this year so we can continue to give more money to local people in need.
“Carnival isn’t free and with costs going up every year we rely heavily on our sponsors and the public being generous. Despite last year’s fantastic response we still know that lots of people who watch these fabulous shows still don’t donate anything towards it. Hopefully that will change this year and people will dig deep to support the carnival and local good causes.”
A string of events leading up to the big day have been organised in the town. This Friday, a carnival quiz will take place at the South Parade Club, at 7.00pm. On Saturday, the annual duck race will be taking place in the Westway precinct. Ducks will be available to buy from 1.00pm. On Thursday 24th September, a carnival bingo session will take place at the Kingsway Bingo Hall at 7.30pm.
Carnival programmes are already available from various shops around the town, as well as the Tourist Information Centre.
For more details about Frome Carnival please call its chairman June Barnes on 01373 461625.
