A COMMUNITY carnival bringing residents together in a celebration of music, dance and puppet displays is set to be held next weekend.

The event on June 18 is set to unite the communities of Cobholm, Southtown and Halfway House for an afternoon of fun.

The carnival procession will set off from Edward Worlledge Junior School at midday – having been officially opened by Yarmouth’s Mayor, Barry Coleman.

The procession will head through the streets of Southtown, before heading back to the school – where events will follow throughout the day on the school field, including gymnastic displays, Punch and Judy, a steel band musical performance, and much more.

The carnival project has received participatory budgeting funding, via the council’s neighbourhood management programme for the area, Make it Happen. Back in December more than 400 residents voted for the carnival to be the one project for the local areas that received �10,000.

The school is leading the project alongside Make it Happen and has helped to bring residents from the local areas together to prepare for the carnival, including mural creation, theatre performances, puppet and costume making, street dance, photography, art, music and much more.

Dawn Kightley, the school’s headteacher, said the carnival aimed to celebrate the area’s mix of cultures, religions and ethnic backgrounds.

In March 2010, 631 residents voted on projects to receive the money.