This Saturday the Leicester Caribbean Carnival will be celebrating it’s 30th year in the city.
Preparations are underway and many of the participants from Leicester have been busy practising their dance moves and refining their costumes at the African and Caribbean Centre.
One of those practising her moves is recent Birmingham City University graduate Charis Betts, who is the 2015 carnival queen, she said, “As you can see from our workshop here, you can see that there are people from various ethnic and social backgrounds, the carnival enables them the chance to come together and celebrate as one”
Organisers are expecting over one hundred thousands people to attend the event at Victoria Park and the colourful carnival parade which will be a Kaleidoscope of old and new dance, music and fashion. Combining multicultural community participation with an educational costume theme based on Native American dress and dance choreography.
The carnival village at Victoria Park will open at 11am with three music stages and a main stage. A variety of vendors will be selling food from the Caribbean, Africa, Asia and other countries. Art and craft and promotional stalls will also provide a mix of cultural products, toys, educational and other information along with promotions.
The Official Opening Ceremony begins at 12:30pm followed by the street Carnival, featuring costumed bands and floats from Luton, London, Huddersfield, Nottingham, Derby and Leicester which will transform Leicester City before returning to Victoria Park for their final performance in the main arena.
Other activities include the fun fair and children’s village and a vibrant main stage which will feature artists from Leicester, other UK Cities and beyond.
The programme of events for Saturdays carnival will officially get underway at 9am and not finish until 8pm:
9am to 11am: Activities at Nelson Mandela Park
10.30am – 12.30pm: A Steel band will be playing on Granville Road
11am: Carnival Village opens to the public
12.30pm: Carnival officially opens
1pm: The start of the street carnival with floats and troupes
2pm: Main stage activities start
8pm: Carnival comes to an end
Music: Brazil Samba – Bensound.com
