From its small beginnings 50 years ago as a community celebration featuring just a handful of attractions, Cromer Carnival has grown to become one of the biggest events of its kind in the region, attracting around 40,000 people from all over the country every year.
To mark its half century, the carnival, which kicks off on Friday (August 16) with a beer festival celebrating Norfolk's independent breweries, will be offering its usual packed programme of fun for all the family, as well as a series of special events harking back to its roots in the late 1960s.
And, with TV star Bradley Walsh putting the "icing on the cake" by returning to the town that launched his career to crown Miss Cromer, carnival chairman Tony Shipp says 2019 will be a year to remember.
"Those who have followed Bradley's career will know that he is no stranger to Cromer," Mr Shipp said. "We didn't actually hear back from him until four days before the carnival was due to start, so it was a bit of a last-minute rush, but we are absolutely delighted he is able to make it."
Mr Walsh, who crowned two previous carnival queens - in 1988 and 1995 - will be joined on the pier forecourt on Sunday (August 18) by father and son Britain's Got Talent stars Jack and Tim Goodacre, with Mr Shipp also launching a self-penned 80-page commemorative booklet charting the history of the carnival and featuring photographs brought along to two drop-in mornings held earlier this year.
"We will also be showing photographs from past carnivals on a big screen and welcoming 24 carnival queens from the last 50 years - one of whom is coming all the way from Italy," Mr Shipp added.
Praising his small army of committee members and volunteers, Mr Shipp, who was made an MBE for services to the community in 2005, said: "I think the secret of our success is that we have an amazing team, some of whose children and grandchildren are now involved, as well as three weeks of almost free entertainment for local families and holidaymakers, which I think is the mainstay of the carnival."
Cromer Carnival runs from tomorrow until next Friday, August 23. For more information pick up a programme or visit www.cromercarnival.com or the Cromer Carnival (official) Facebook page.
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