The Harborne Carnival celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year on 18th June 2017. The Carnival started by local resident Ron Hill is now the second largest street carnival in the UK after Notting Hill and attracts over 70,000 people. This is a million miles from its humble beginnings as a small local fete back in 1998.
The Carnival has developed hugely from its early days. It was recognized in 2003 when it won the ‘Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award for Voluntary Service by groups in the Community’. It has gone from strength to strength and is now firmly embedded as an event into the local community timetable.
Its aims have not changed. It is primarily an event designed to bring the community together not just for one day but for the full year. Local community groups and charities start planning stalls, activities and floats well ahead of the event. Local schools audition their best talent to appear at the event – musicians, singers, entertainers.
Over the years the carnival has celebrated many themes and in 2017 it has decided to showcase the ‘Best of British’ as a theme. Irish Dancers, Scottish Pipers, a Welsh Choir, English Morris Men are just a few of the traditional attractions to be booked – there is a lot more to come. We would also like to reflect the diversity of our great City of Birmingham so please contact us if you have something that you would like to showcase.
The carnival will have all the usual attractions – fairground rides, a Parade, music stages, stalls for charities and community groups and a Carnival Queen, Princesses and Junior Carnival Queen and Prince.
