History of the Carnival

In 2007, the inaugural meeting of Newark Arts Forum (comprising of business and arts professionals) discussed the possibility of bringing a large-scale event to Newark, one that involved a cross-section of the community. Soon, the idea of bringing the Carnival back to life was born.

A committee comprising of arts practitioners, business professionals, politicians and teachers was founded and the mammoth task of promotion and float-building began.

The date in July 2007 was set and the the theme Newark Past and Present was agreed. We had just five months to build this event from scratch. There was no money, no participants and more importantly, no support. But the idea rapidly caught on and it was looking positive. In just a couple of months, we had more than 1000 participants and a number of good commercial sponsors.

The day itself was a huge success. More than 5000 people lined the streets to watch the procession as it made its way from Riverside Park in Newark to Sconce Hills Park to join Sconcefest, a free family fun day.

Building on its inaugural success, the future of the Carnival looked auspicious. Subsequent years were even more successful, and in 2010 we had around 7000 people watching the parade on Newark’s historic streets.

Today, in 2012 – we’ve recognised that this is a special year for Britain. It’s Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Golden Jubilee celebrations in June, and the Olympics are coming to London in July. What better year to do a parade themed around showcasing all Britain has to offer?

You can be a part of this exciting theme and register for the parade. It’s free to enter and you can dress your float however you wish – as long as it’s got something to do with Britain, of course.

The UK has long been an important player in world events and history. We provided the world with Winston Churchill, Isaac Newton, HP Sauce and the best system of Parliamentary democracy. Britain is still revered around the world, and here in Newark we want you to be a part of celebrating that.