Somerset Carnivals
A little piece of West Country culture Every November, something flashy and spectacular happens here in the southwest of England. Our ordinarily quiet towns are transformed into enormous night time spectacles of music, dancing, extravagant costumes and elaborate illuminated floats. These aren't your average carnival floats. Locally, we call them carts, and some are up to 100 feet long, covered in tens of thousands of lights, with moving scenery, enormous sound systems and performers dancing. The tradition has its roots in Bonfire Night, when Britain commemorates the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Over hundreds of years, Somerset's celebrations evolved into the spectacular illuminated carnivals we know today. Many of these creations are built by local carnival clubs, whose members spend much of the year designing, fundraising, building and rehearsing. The carts travel between towns, competing for prizes and raising money for local charities.
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