Chatteris Midsummer Festival ‘best one yet’ says town clerk of colourful Mardis Gras themed Madinga Arts supported event

Scenes from the parade at Chatteris Midsummer Festival. Picture: BARRY GIDDINGS (Image: Copyright: Barry Giddings)

The company, which has produced and provided costumes for Notting Hill Carnival, held workshops prior to the festival where children and adults could produce vibrant costumes for Saturday’s parade.

This year’s event, which many are crediting as the best ever, benefitted from funding from a local arts funding group.

The parade which this year boasted a Mardi Gras theme – complete with music from a samba band - ensured Chatteris was covered in dazzling, sparking costumes full of feathers, glitter and face paint.

Over the weekend, there was a variety of activities for children, including: an It’s A Knockout competition, rides, hot food and music from a variety of performers on Saturday, while a dog show, children’s sports, cream teas and a tug of war competition entertained the masses on Sunday.

Chatteris Town Clerk Joanna Melton said this year’s festival was “the best one yet.”

She added: “It was the most well-attended event we’ve ever put on, we had literally thousands of people on Saturday.”

Despite rainy weather on Sunday, the Party in the Park musical entertainment attracted crowds in their hundreds.

Mrs Melton said: “There were no problems. Everyone came together and seemed to have a really good time.

One reveller commented that the event made for an “amazing weekend”, adding that it was “well worth the hard work and planning that everyone on the committee and Fenland has put in.”

Another festival-goer said: “I’d like to thank the committee for organizing one of our best festivals yet.

“If it wasn’t for these people putting our community first, there wouldn’t be a festival”.