FINAL preparations are being made for the biggest day of the year in Malmesbury on Saturday when the carnival procession parades through the town.

Hundreds of people will take part in the procession, including those in fancy dress on lorries, tractors or trailers or walking, cycling and in wheelchairs – not to mention some “hat propelled entries.”

Numerous musicians and dancers will also take to the streets in what is the highlight of the seven week long Malmesbury Carnival and Festival which this year involved 60 different activities.

The carnival procession in particular, when huge amounts of change is deposited into buckets along the route, is a major fund raiser which last year amassed £18,000 – £10,000 of which was donated to local causes and groups.

The organisers of the 2015 event were keen stress that anyone wishing to join the procession as it wends its way around town still has time to enter – so long as they get their forms back by toomorrow.

Entry is free and there will be cash prizes for the winners.

One of the largest vehicles in the parade, which starts at 6pm at Park Road, will be an open-top bus conveying the Malmesbury Vics football team who will be showing off the Wiltshire Premier League Cup which they won in style last season.

Club secretary Julie Exton urged other local sportsmen and women who have achieved sporting success over the past year to hop on the bus with them.

She said: “We’d love them to come on board and celebrate with us – and to bring along their trophies too.”

During the week a group young people have been working with the town’s Last Baguette Theatre Company in creating their own characters and costumes for the procession.

Carnival events which have taken place over the past few days was Malmesbury’s first ever Food Festival at numerous venues throughout last week.

Also this Saturday is the Malmesbury 10k run which has become part of the Carnival celebrations in recent years and starts in the town centre at 11am.

Further information on entries and the procession can be found at: www.malmesburycarnival.co.uk