Midsomer Norton will be lit up with the dazzling sights and sounds of Carnival on Monday evening next week (11th November), as the procession returns to the High Street once more.

As usual, all focus will be on the weather, after two very wet years – as organisers will be hoping for a large crowd to come out in force and support Carnival, bringing all of their loose change with them; a percentage of which will go to local charities and help ensure the event for the following year, which costs thousands to run, and is organised entirely by volunteers.

Local performers, who have spent months putting together their entry, will be hoping for everyone to wrap up warm and get into the spirit of Carnival, with the procession starting at the roundabout near Charlton Road at 7.30 p.m., making its way along Silver Street, the wrong way up the High Street and finishing near Burlington Road, on Radstock Road, at around 10 p.m.

Due to the nature of the event and to ensure public safety, there will be road closures, parking suspensions and footpath closures on a number of streets within the area.

As in previous years, the closures will be on a ‘rolling’ basis; so that once the procession has passed and the area is clear of pedestrians, the area will be reopened. The Midsomer Norton & District Carnival Association will also be providing live traffic and closure updates via Facebook and Twitter.

The A367 Wells Road, Fosseway (beyond the White Post roundabout), will be closed from 9 p.m. on Saturday, 9th November to allow larger carts to assemble before Carnival.

Closures along the procession route will begin in stages from the High Street in Midsomer Norton, which will be closed from 5.30 p.m. until 1 a.m., Charlton Lane at 6.30 p.m., with the A367 from the Industrial Estate to the White Post and Charlton Road and Silver Street from 7 p.m. The A362 Radstock Road will be closed at 8 p.m. from Stones Cross, all the way to Radstock. Roads will be re-opened as soon as possible, beginning with Charlton Lane.

As carts will be dispersing, the A362 Radstock Road will remain closed until 2.30 a.m. on Tuesday, 12th November.

Car owners are being warned that vehicles parked on designated roads will be subject to a fixed penalty notice and towed away, including blue badge parking. If you are affected, please call: 01225 448025 and B&NES Parking for any queries or appeals on: 01225 477133. Bus services will also be affected in the area.

Leading the procession on Monday will be Carnival Royalty, chosen at the local competition which was held at the end of September. The Carnival Queen is ten-year-old Skyla, from Chilcompton, Carnival King is Toby, aged eleven, from Radstock, Carnival Prince is Jack, aged eight, also from Radstock, and Carnival Princess, six-year-old Leia, from Writhlington.

Speaking about the event, Midsomer Norton’s Mayor, Michael Evans, says: “It is a feast of light defying the darkness of winter. It celebrates and showcases our human creativity and ingenuity; all those floats being carefully prepared over the months before, the dance steps choreographed and rehearsed, the route planned and tested. It takes an old Somerset tradition and shows its relevance to our modern world.

“And even when the weather is unkind, it demonstrates the determination and resilience of young people who dance in the cold and rain, and the stoicism of the audience who stay to watch them.”

If you do not have any spare change on the night, or would like to make a bigger contribution to Carnival, you can do so via the website, www.illuminatedcarnival.co.uk