THE summer fun continues this weekend as the town gears up for one of the biggest events on the Melksham calendar – Melksham Carnival.
After months of hard work, the wait is finally over with Carnival fever hitting Melksham on Saturday 22nd July and returning to King George V park is the Family Fun Day.
Following the success of last year, the Family Fun Day will once again take place before the carnival procession. Gates open at 12pm and admission is free. There will be an array of stalls, face painters, tug-of-war competitions, carnival royalty, charity stalls, ice cream trucks, plus refreshments but you are welcome to bring your own picnic.
Events will include the Carnival Mighty Tug-of-War, Bonny Baby and Carnival Cutie competitions, performances from Bratton Silver Band and, new for this year, a Fun Dog Show.
Carnival committee member Christine York said, “We are all really looking forward to carnival day, it’s one of the highlights in Melksham’s calendar! The whole town comes out to see the procession which is always fantastic, so we’re hoping for the same turn out again this year.
“Float entries are still coming in and we have had a good response, with many entrants returning again this year, as well as new groups joining. You can sense the excitement when the groups and individuals bring in their entry forms.
“But it’s not too late to join in. A big float is not needed, a small trailer, a bicycle or just walking in a fancy dress costume looks just as good. We still need people to walk with collection buckets, so please get in touch if you can help.
“If people have recently moved to the town they will thoroughly enjoy this much-loved Melksham tradition. It is a way of becoming involved and experiencing Melksham’s great community spirit and a perfect opportunity to meet up with family and friends.”
The Family Fun Day promises an afternoon of fun and entertainment for the whole family.
New to this year’s event is the Fun Dog Show which starts at 1.30pm. Registration is at 12pm and entrance per class is £1. The classes are; Best Puppy, Best Veteran, Handsomest Dog, Prettiest Bitch, Waggiest Tail, Best Long Coat, Best Short Coat, Best 6 Legs, Dog the judge would like to take home and Best in Show. There will be rosettes for the winners.
Carnival favourites Bonny Baby and Carnival Cutie will also take place at the Fun Day starting at 1pm – registration at 12pm and entrance is £3 per child. Returning again this year is the Carnival Mighty Tug-of-War. Nortree Motors took the trophy last year and are expected to be back to defend their title.
Also new for this year is special guests the Bratton Brass Band who will be performing during the day. Please note, the times are not correct in the programme and they are playing at 1.15 to 2pm and 2.30 to 3.15pm.
The Family Fun Day will end at 5pm, then make your way into the town for the procession which starts at 6pm.
Carnival Route
The procession will leave Cooper-Avon car park travelling through Bath Road and Bank Street before turning left into Lowbourne, then right into Ruskin Avenue and joining Pembroke Road. It will then turn right into Coronation Road before turning right into Spa Road. The procession will then continue down the High Street to return to the Cooper-Avon car park via Bank Street and Bath Road.
Please note: Melksham Carnival covers approximately 1.7 miles and can take up to two hours to complete. To help the more energetic entries, Coronation Road has been designated an optional rest point where performance entries such as dancers, twirlers etc. will be allowed to walk rather than perform if they wish to take a breather. The roads will be closed on a rolling closure basis between 5.30pm-8.00pm. Please be patient and courteous to the marshalls whilst the closures are in effect.
