A COLOURFUL carnival parade marked the start of Basingstoke Festival last Friday, as children from across the borough joined the noisy procession.

Led by a giant mechanical turtle, the parade made its way from Eastrop Park to the Top of The Town where a big party was held with performances from local groups.

Crowds lined the streets to cheer on more than 300 people in the spectacular procession, including children from schools, choirs and dance groups, who brought the town alive with music, dancing and colourful costumes.

The free event marked the start of this year’s Basingstoke Festival, and was created with the expertise of internationally acclaimed outdoor arts company Emergency Exit Arts, in partnership with Proteus Theatre Company, supported using public funding by Arts Council England and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

Councillor Cathy Osselton, the borough council’s cabinet member for partnerships, said: “What a fantastic way to open the festival, it was great to see the community come together to take part and enjoy this event.

“This is just the start, there’s three weeks of entertainment ahead and there’s something for everyone so don’t miss out.”

Also taking place last Friday as part of the festival was the annual Basingstoke and District Disability Forum’s The Basingstoke Roll 2.

The event takes the form of a scavenger hunt around the town, with teams using wheelchairs to follow clues to reach the finish line first.

Prizes were awarded to the winners, as well as for the best decorated wheelchair, the best dressed team and the team which raised the most funds.

On Saturday, hundreds of people attended the World Party in the Park, organised by Basingstoke Multicultural Forum with support from the borough council.

The event kicked off with a parade followed by performances from different groups representing various countries around the world.

There were also craft stalls, international cuisine and activities for children to enjoy such as face painting.

Toju Ogbe, a trustee of the Basingstoke Multicultural Forum, said: “It went very well. The weather forecast was gloomy initially so we talked about cancelling it but decided to go ahead. The turn out was really encouraging.

“We were able to achieve a number of objectives which is to encourage social contact among the various community groups in Basingstoke.”

Performances on the main stage included a steel band, Bollywood dancers and acts representing countries including Africa, Nepal and China.

Food stalls offered visitors the chance to sample cuisine from different countries including India, Eastern Europe and Thailand.

Mr Ogbe added: “Basingstoke residents came out in high-spirits to celebrate the rich cultural diversity of the town, in spite of a downbeat weather forecast. A wide variety of spectacular cultural performances literally brought the world to Basingstoke on a single day. We look forward to World Party 2016.”

Basingstoke Festival runs until Sunday, July 12 and features a programme bursting with everything from big name acts to free Top of The Town street entertainment. More than 100 events will take place throughout the borough offering something for everyone including music, dance, theatre, comedy, circus and craft. View the programme at basingstokefestival.co.uk.