Bring us sunshine!

ON the move... the wacky parade will take place in Alexandra Park

Stage poised as carnival rolls into Alexandra Park
CARNIVAL volunteers have been hard at work today to transform Alexandra Park into a mini-Glastonbury without the mud ahead of this year’s Oldham Carnival.

While revellers flock to the world-famous festival in Somerset, dedicated organisers in Oldham have been taking delivery of hundreds of crowd barriers as they set up stages in time for Sunday’s celebrations.

Sound equipment, light rigging, generators and stalls will all start to appear in the park today and tomorrow as 50 volunteers pitch in.

Event director Paul Davies said: “This year we have had the best committee ever.

“It takes a lot of work to put the carnival on and everything is coming together really well.

“We’ve been through ups and downs with the changes we have made, but over the next few days the adrenaline starts to flow.”

Last year saw the parade take place along town-centre streets but it has been decided to switch the whole event into Alexandra Park in a bid to create a festival-type atmosphere.

“We were talking about Glastonbury and saying how we’re creating it on a micro level in the town — it’ll have that atmosphere,” added Paul.

The dance troupe championships are set to be the biggest in the event’s history while dozens of entries have flooded in for the parade — this year taking place in the park.

Teams are already preparing for the fun-filled “It’s a Knockout” competition.

Organisers are now keeping an eye on the weather forecast in the hope of sweltering sunshine to bring out the crowds. We put the headline ‘bring us sunshine’ on the website but we meant with people’s smiles,” added Paul.

“It works both ways though! We’re keeping out fingers crossed for good weather.”

Backed by Oldham Academy, Blue Tiffin Restaurant, Oldham Council and the Oldham Evening Chronicle, fun and frolics begin from noon on Sunday.

Visit www.oldhamcarnival.org.uk for a full list of events.


Don’t miss our carnival pictures and reports on Monday