The date for this year’s carnival has now been set as Saturday 23rd August, which is the bank holiday weekend. The procession has an ‘international’ theme to reflect the multicultural nature of Bradley Stoke residents and which we hope will encourage groups with their own costumes or uniforms to join the parade. The parade will start at 1pm at the Brook Way Activity Centre, travel along Brook Way turning into Savages Wood Road to arrive at the Jubilee Centre carnival field.
As well as the parade, other attractions on the day will include a fun fair, stalls, live music on stage, Bradley Stoke in Bloom ‘Best Pot’ competition, classic cars and hot air balloons with an evening launch (weather permitting). Some live music has already been booked including The Twerzels, a Wurzels tribute band, Mia and Tuesday Eagle (recently heard on Bradley Stoke Radio) and Dave Harris, who has an awesome range of 60s & 70s covers.
On the carnival field, free pitches are available to all community groups for fundraising or just displays and limited (non-catering) commercial pitches are also available at a very reasonable cost, although all groups will need to supply their own table and gazebo!
Bradley Stoke’s schools are being offered workshops in carnival and circus skills and, in the weeks preceding the carnival, there will also be community workshops in carnival skills and costume making. Our thanks go to Bradley Stoke Town Council, whose generosity is allowing us to offer these free of charge.
If you or your group would like to be involved in any way, we would love to hear from you; please visit the Bradley Stoke Carnival Facebook page or contact us on bradleystokecarnival@gmail.com.
Photo: Dancers and funfair on Jubilee Green at the 2013 Carnival.
This article originally appeared in the May 2014 edition of the Bradley Stoke Journal news magazine, delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to 9,450 homes in Bradley Stoke, Little Stoke and Stoke Lodge. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.
Photo: 2013 Carnival Parade in Merryweather Close.