Written by Jessica Hutchinson
The carnival season is approaching rapidly so ready the floats and dust off the fancy dress – it’s time to crash a carnival on the coast.
What is better than the exciting hubbub of a carnival? The music, dancing, the bright colours and lights of the fairground rides? A carnival right by the sea of course! This summer, up and down the coast of East Anglia, towns are preparing for the carnival season, painting floats and practicing acts ready for the crowds to flood in. Here are just a few of the seaside festivities worth a visit this summer:
Great Yarmouth Family Fun Day, 14 July
Jellicoe Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, NR30 4AU
If a procession isn’t for you but you still want to have a great time with the family by the seaside then head over to Great Yarmouth’s Family Fun Day. From 11am until 6pm the town hosts Jousting tournaments, a circus, petting zoo, magic shows, art and craft workshops, Zorb ball activities, a dog show on the beach and much, much more. This fun day is bound to have something for everyone to enjoy, including well-behaved dogs.
Wells Carnival, 27 Jul- 5 Aug
Wells-Next-The-Sea, Norfolk, NR23 1EZ
Wells Carnival is packed full of activities for over a week. In the days leading up to the Parade day on the 4th, Wells-next-the-Sea hosts a disco, live music, fun run, a dog show (2 Aug, 5.30pm) and a sandcastle competition (2 Aug, 2pm) to name a few of the numerous events. In the pretty Norfolk seaside setting fronted by colourful beach huts, this Carnival is not one to miss. www.wellscarnival.co.uk
Sheringham Carnival, 28 Jul – 5 Aug
Town Centre, Sheringham, Norfolk, NR26 8LG
The Sheringham Carnival festivities last for over a week, including the usual fancy dress, children’s activities and music. Sheringham crowns their ‘royal’ family at the start of the week, which oversees the carnival, hands out prizes and represents Sheringham by attending the Cromer Carnival as well. Street races and fireworks on the beach are the highlights of this carnival. www.sheringhamcarnival.com
Cromer Carnival, 11-17 Aug
Town Centre, Cromer, Norfolk, NR27 9HN
The Cromer Carnival week is packed full of activities and shows to entertain the whole family. Activities throughout the week include music, dancing and an enormous breadth of acts; dog agility competitions, a BMX show, falconry display and fairground rides. The Carnival Day on the 15th features the traditional procession of floats, fancy-dress, a display from the Red Arrows at 4pm and a finale of fireworks. www.cromercarnival.co.uk
Downham Market Water Festival, 12 Aug
Hythe Bridge, Town Centre, Downham Market, Norfolk, PE38 9
This fair is not on the beachfront, but a fun day by the water all the same, the Downham Market Water Festival and Dragon Boat Race takes place at Hythe Bridge on the Great Ouse. With stalls, a fun fair and lots of activities on the river, the festival lasts from 10am until 5pm. The dragon-headed boats full of madly paddling people is a fun sight to see and worth a visit if you’re in the area. www.downhammarkettowncouncil.org.uk
Southend Carnival, 18 Aug
Marine Parade, Southend-On-Sea, SS1 2EJ
Southend Carnival, which has run annually since 1906, maintains a traditional combination of a colourful parade of floats and costumes, acts, dancers and live music on the beach. The 3000-participant-strong parade starts in Southchurch Park at 6.45pm and finishes in Shoresfield Road at 9pm. The best views of the parade are on the central seafront City Beach. The impressive Rio-esque carnival costumes add to the fun party atmosphere for this carnival. www.southendcarnivalevents.org.uk
Aldeburgh Carnival, 18-20 Aug
Aldeburgh, Suffolk IP15 5DS
Aldeburgh has set their 76th Carnival’s theme as ‘fly me to the moon’, so it is bound to be out of this world. Across the three days, Aldeburgh hosts the colourful parade (Monday at 3.15pm) and arena displays, the popular and beautiful Chinese lantern procession (Monday at 8.45pm), donkey rides, fireworks (Monday at 9.15pm) and music, it’s no wonder it was awarded ‘Family Tourism Event of the Year’ in the Norfolk and Suffolk Tourism awards 2018. Filled with family fun, stalls, competitions and swimming races in the sea, Aldeburgh Carnival is a perfect long weekend for everyone. Buy a Carnival Programme for a full run-down of what’s on. www.aldeburghcarnival.com
