It is one of the events that I look forward to every year and have done so since my family moved to the area in 2002. The Bridgwater carnival is a stunning display of many floats strewn with choreographed dancers and hundreds of bright lightbulbs. Each float has its own unique theme, music and dance routines. Themes vary from ‘Frozen’ to Father Christmas and each float has a different theme year after year.
Bystanders will wait for hours just to get a front row seat of the stunning events. Each year around 150,000 people flock to the streets of Bridgwater, Weston Super Mare, Burnham on sea, North Petherton, Shepton Mallet, Wells and Glastonbury to watch in awe and to help raise money for a variety of different charities.
The Bridgwater Carnival first updated in 1881 and was originally lit by lamps; electric lights were first introduced in 1913. Bridgwater carnival now entails of a display of over 40 large vehicles up to 100 feet long, festooned with dancers and up to 22,000 lightbulbs that follows a 2.5-mile route over two to three hours.
The carnival’s purpose is to raise money for local charities from money collection carts in the procession. Between 2003 and 2007, around £115,000 has been raised.
A carnival concert takes place in the weeks leading up to the carnival. At these concerts, carnival clubs perform on stage wearing their costumes and using pieces of scenery taken from their carts. The carnival concert has become a highly popular attraction in recent years, with tickets to see the event in a Bridgwater hall selling out very fast.
The carnival typically visits Burnham on Sea on the first Monday of November following an annual firework display on the seafront the evening prior. It is a event that is enjoyed by families both locally and those that have travelled to watch the carnival.
I can highly recommend it, however I will suggest that you wrap up warm, take lots of spare change and a slither of patience which is made completely worthwhile. Each year the procession is stunning and never ever repetitive.