Town's delight at carnival's comeback after years
BBCA town is gearing up to welcome back its carnival for the first time in seven years.
Appleby Carnival is taking place on Saturday for the first time since 2019, after it struggled to attract volunteers to help organise it following the coronavirus pandemic.
Chairman Donna Park said the town was buzzing and she was looking forward to seeing it come alive for the carnival's return.
"It's going to be a really good weekend, the weather is on our side," she said.
Children from Appleby's Shining Stars nursery are taking part in the parade and have been choosing their own characters and making costumes for the float.
Manager and owner Sam Alderson said the school was excited to see the carnival return.
"I think it's very important that locals can join in and support it, even to come and have a look at them on the side of the road, it's really nice for them," she said.
"The whole town's involved in it, the shops, the people and you'd just hope that they come and support it on the day."
Park said the cost of putting on the event had gone up over the years, with costs now reaching up to £14,000, but the biggest struggle was finding volunteers.
The funding comes mostly from fundraising, with support from local councils and businesses.
"It's massive for the town, everybody is super excited, but it's just not been easy," Park said.
"We're really short on volunteers, the numbers dwindle as the time gets closer, but we've got a small tight knit committee and every single one of them is incredibly hardworking."
The event includes live music, children's entertainment, a football tournament, and a parade.
Park said she hoped more people would decide to join the organising committee after this year's event.
She said: "You don't need to commit yourself to loads and loads of work, every little helps."
