CHARD Carnival on Saturday promises to be another spectacular parade of colour, light and music.

The cavalcade of floats, majorettes and masqueraders will once again wow the crowds lining the streets of the town centre and organisers will already be keeping their fingers-crossed for a trouble-free and rain-free night.

The Carnival will assemble in Tapstone Road at Numatic International and move off up into East Street, Convent Link, Old Town, Duck Lane and Crowshute Link before heading down High Street, Fore Street and back into East Street and dispersing in Tapstone Road.

The Chard Carnival Committee has worked tirelessly for the past year in readiness for the BIG NIGHT and now the months of preparation are about to come to fruition.

Organisers are once again asking people to dig deep into their pockets and donate what they can towards the collection.

It was back in 1967 when representatives from the League of Friends and Chard Youth Centre met to discuss ways in which to raise money for their respective groups.

Gerald Quick, Mervyn Ball, Tom Miller and Wendy Clulow decided that the best option would be to revive Chard Carnival, after a break of 13 years.

The carnival is now in its 48th year and has raised around £100,000 for local charities and organisations, including Chard Christmas Lights, Children’s Hospice South West, Chard Hospital and all the local schools.

In the early 1970s, Chard, Ilminster, Wellington and Taunton formed the South Somerset Federation of Carnivals, with Yeovil joining at a later date. This provided a competition for the best entries from the five towns taking part.

Yeovil Carnival has since ceased to exist, but the Federation of four towns remains.