If you want to experience a true West Country carnival, then make sure you’re in Chard on Saturday the 11th October 2008 for Chard Carnival.
Chard is part of the South Somerset Federation of carnivals, a circuit which leads up to the Bridgwater circuit - with Bridgewater Guy FawkesCarnival being the highlight of the Carnival Year, apparently the largest illuminated carnival in the World. (It can take 3 hours to go past you!) Bridgwater Carnival is traditionally the Friday closest to November 5th. It always used to be held on a Thursday, but changed to Friday in 2001.
Feature floats (dancing to a routine), tableaux floats (holding a pose), comic floats and walking entries (single, groups, pairs, etc.) all form a procession to entertain and amuse!
You can read more about South Somerset carnivals at www.southwestcarnivals.com, and more about Bridgwater carnival at www.bridgwatercarnival.org.uk .