Carnival fever is set to hit the streets of High Wycombe this Sunday as residents and visitors flock to the town to celebrate the first-ever Desborough Road Carnival.

When is it?

The event – which is organised by High Wycombe BID company (HWBIDCo) – will officially kick-off at 11am this Sunday, August 11.

Where is it?

in Desborough Road and features a host of live music, entertainment and dancing, along with food stalls and children’s entertainment.

Wycombe Arts Centre will also be hosting an array creative workshops for kids and families throughout the day.

What else is happening?

In addition to the activities, a small carnival parade will take place at 3pm as visitors, businesses and community groups join together outside Interparts in Desborough Road, before heading through the Eden Centre and looping back to Desborough.

Visitors are being encouraged to join the fun by dressing in costume, bringing banners and flags or wearing brightly coloured outfits.

Those interested in taking part in the procession can sign up online or simply turn up on the day, with hundreds of pounds worth of prizes on offer to those judged to be best dressed.

Where to park

Parking is free on the day in all Wycombe District Council-run car parks within the town centre – including Desborough Road car park next to Kings Church, The Swan, Dovecot and Easton Street.

How did it come about?

Desborough Carnival is a new event for the town and forms part of town-wide activities calendar run by HWBIDCo, an organisation working on behalf of local businesses.

The organisation – which is also behind FrogFest – aims to celebrate High Wycombe and help make it a vibrant and attractive place to live, work and shop.

As part of the event, HWBIDCo and Wycombe Arts Centre have also joined forces with several local artists – including Dan Wilson – to dress Collins House, a vacant unit on the corner of Bridge Street.

Work has already begun on the large-scale artwork project and will be officially completed this weekend to mark the start of carnival.

Discussing the excitement surrounding the build-up to the carnival, BID manager Melanie Williams said: “We’re thrilled to be able to organise Desborough Road’s first ever carnival.

“We’d like to take this opportunity to thank businesses and community groups – in particular Wycombe Arts Centre, Kings Church, Wycombe Youth Action and Oasis Partnership - who have all helped contribute to the planning of the event.

“The aim of carnival is to help highlight the vibrancy of the Desborough Road area and bring the community together. We now hope to grow the event over the next few years and make it a key part of our calendar.”