Carnival capers and festival fun with a Big Top flavour will fill the streets of Great Yarmouth this weekend.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Banner making during the carnival community workshops Photo: SeaChange ArtsBanner making during the carnival community workshops Photo: SeaChange Arts (Image: SeaChange Arts)

Performers and local people will join forces for a community event which has become part of the town’s Arts Festival for the past five years.

The circus theme is part of Circus 250 a national celebration of 250 years since the birth of circus entertainment with a show on wasteland in London.

Great Yarmouth is one of just six “circus cities” taking part, and the carnival parade starts outside its unique Hippodrome circus building at 11am on Saturday.

Among the parade will be three life-sized elephants, horse costumes and huge banners which have been made at a series of community art workshops during April and May with funding support from Arts Council England.

Great Yarmouth Mercury: Dinamo one of the Fesat Fiesta music acts Photo: DinamoDinamo one of the Fesat Fiesta music acts Photo: Dinamo (Image: Dinamo)

The parade will head along the seafront, up Regent Road to the Market Place and down King Street to St George’s Theatre, where it splits in two.

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Part of the parade will head to the library for the Community Fair which is taking place from 12.30-3.30pm.

The rest will head to the Drill House for the launch of Festa Fiesta, a day-long Samba infused festival of music and street entertainment from clowning to acrobatics, in the Market Place, King Street and St George’s Plaza.

Also during the day there is family entertainment at the Drill House including circus, samba, animation, and craft workshops, a circus selfie booth, while people can get involved with urban arts workshops and creating a carnival head-dress along King Street and St George’s.

In the evening, the acclaimed Ockham’s Razor provide stunning aerial circus in Tipping Point and St George’s Theatre hosts the Festa Fiesta Dance Party with the Afro-Caribbean sounds of Son Pikkante and Latin ska from Mallorca’s Dinamo.

Festival chairman Hugh Sturzaker said: “Getting local people involved in arts is a key part of carnival – and our programme of events and workshops will hopefully mean families have the chance not just to watch carnival, but be part of it.”

For full programme information visit the festival website greatyarmouthartsfestival.co.ukArt in the Minster

The art and photography skills of local people will be on show during the festival.

A week-long exhibition in the Minster features the paintings and camera work of community arts groups, along with demonstrations of painting, drawing and photography.

Groups include; the Great Yarmouth Guild of Artists and Craftsmen, Eastern Contemporary Artists. Broadlanders Art Group, Great Yarmouth and District Photographic Society and the Quill Writing Group.

The Minster is open from 10-4.30pm (3pm on June 17). Café refreshments available.

Railings in the Market Place will be turned into a gallery for art and craft on Saturday June 9 from 10am to 4.30pm. Exhibition spaces still available from Angela Wheeler 07803 350246.

Other art shows on during the festival feature the work of students at East North Sixth Form (Great Yarmouth Library, June 5-15) and an exhibition of art by John Kiki and Darren Barker at Skippings Art Gallery at 133 King Street.