FINISHING touches are being put in place to ensure success at next weekend’s Bewdley Carnival, which will celebrate its 50th year.

The event, which will return to the town on Saturday, June 11, will feature a float parade, animals, magic escapology, wrestling and live music and dance.

The carnival parade will leave Hales Park at around 1pm and will be led by this year’s carnival princesses Lola Dyoss, five, and Scarlett Hodges, 100, from Bewdley Primary School, and Grace Darby, nine, and Maisie Allen, six, from St Anne’s Primary School.

The parade will continue to Bewdley town centre, to Bewdley Leisure Centre where the afternoon’s entertainment will commence at around 2pm.

Crowds will be entertained by the Van Buren Show which combines a variety of illusions, magic escapology and circus skills.

Sue Matthews, one of the carnival organisers, said: “Also on the carnival field will be Glamba – a samba percussion group, HCW Wrestling, Bewdley Concert Band, Severnside School of Dance, West Midlands Tae Kwon Do, Simon Airey the animal man, a wood carver, a fun fair, as well as refreshment stalls and main stalls.

“This is a very special carnival as it is our Golden Carnival as it is 50 years since the first carnival was held in Bewdley.”

On the evening of Saturday, June 11, the annual fireworks display – provided by Bewdley Town Council - will commence at around 10pm to celebrate the carnival and the Queen’s 90th birthday.

A spokesman from the town council added: “This year, the fireworks display organised by Bewdley Town Council will be on the Saturday night and will be extra special to mark both the carnival's anniversary and the Queen's birthday.

"The display will be set to music and will be bigger and better to mark both occasions and can be viewed from the riverside in Bewdley from around 10pm.”

If you are interested in joining the Bewdley Carnival parade with a float or a walking group, call Sue on 01299 401841, or if you wish to have a stall on the carnival field, contact Angela on 01299 402723.