The Northampton Carnival has had strong traditions in the town from the 1960s through the
Midsummer Meadow times in the 1980s, to its short break in the late 1990s, until its revival in 2005.
The current carnival spans two days from a Friday to Saturday in June and includes concerts, events, community stalls and a fair ground in
Delapre Park, a carnival procession through the town centre, including the Abington Street pedestrianised area, which taplace on the Saturday, and a series of events featuring performers, dancers and workshops from community groups from
Northampton
Northampton () is a market town and civil parish in the East Midlands of England, on the River Nene, north-west of London and south-east of Birmingham. The county town of Northamptonshire, Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; ...
and other towns that take place in the
Market Square
The market square (or sometimes, the market place) is a Town square, square meant for trading, in which a market is held. It is an important feature of many towns and cities around the world.[Guildhall
A guildhall, also known as a "guild hall" or "guild house", is a historical building originally used for tax collecting by municipalities or merchants in Great Britain and the Low Countries. These buildings commonly become town halls and in som ...]
.
In the 1970s and early 1980s the carnival parade took place during the week and started in the evening after tea time but was afterwards switched to Sunday afternoons.
Midsummer Meadow and
Abington Park
Abington Park, in the Abington district of Northampton, has lakes, aviaries, and a museum, as well as trees and grassy open spaces.
Origins
The park contains the ruins of the former village of Abington, the site of a medieval manorhouse with ...
were approved by the Borough Council as assembly points for the 1996 carnival scheduled for 23 June, with the Midsummer Meadow car park to be newly resurfaced.
The carnival took a break in the late 1990s and early 2000s with the
St Crispin Street Fair
The St Crispin Street Fair is a fair held periodically in the Market Square of Northampton, England. It is organised by Northampton Borough Council.
The event is a travelling funfair with over 100 amusement rides, usually operating on several d ...
which ran from 1993 to 2004 filling the streets of the town centre for two days in October. In 1997 the Northamptonshire 'Roots and Culture Fest' multicultural festival was established and was held in the summer until 2004 after which it merged with the revived carnival.
The theme of the carnival when it returned in 2005 was "Celebrate Masquerade" and in 2006 the parade took place on Saturday, 17 June with a theme of "Colours of the Rainbow".
The 2007 carnival took place over the three days of 8, 9 and 10 June, with a theme of "Earth, Wind, Fire and Water".
In 2008 Ashil Patel of Patel Samaj was chosen as Culture Prince, Hanisha Patel of the Gujarati Supplementary School was Culture Princess, Priya Patel of the Gujarati Community (IHWO) was Runner Up and Sushma Patel of Patel Samaj was Culture Queen. Best Carnival Parade Troupe was Mahogany meets Northampton. Best Carnival Float was Delapre Primary School & Friends and Royal & Derngate. Best Live Music was Samba Bandits. Best Visiting Troupe was St.Kitts & Nevis and Friends. The carnival theme was "Masque - Exploring Dual Identities" and the events took place from Friday-Sunday, 13-15 June.
The 2009 carnival took place on Saturday, 13 June 2009, with the main procession setting off from Delapre park at 2pm, winding through the town centre and returning at 4.30pm. The theme was "Sole of the people". The prize winners were:
Northampton Carnival website
/ref>
*''Best Live Music'':
*Runner up – NCAC Steel Pan Explorers,
*Winner – The Richardson’s Brass Band,
*''Best Float Design'':
*Runner Up – Razzle Dazzles,
*Winner – Vernon Terrace Primary School,
*''Best Visiting Float'':
*Runner Up – St Kitts & Nevis & Friends (Luton),
*Winner – Utopia Mas (Bedford),
*''Best Visiting Troupe'':
*Runner Up – W.A.C.A (Wellingborough Afro Caribbean Association),
*Winner – Mahogany Meets Northampton.
The 2013 Northampton Carnival took place on Saturday, 8 June.
See also
Description of 1936 Carnival, Accessed 2014_01_22
References
External links
The official Northampton Carnival website
{{Northampton, state=collapsed
Entertainment in Northampton
Carnivals in the United Kingdom
Tourist attractions in Northampton