Buxton Carnival 2019: what's on when and where

Elvis overload on the Chelmorton float at last year's Buxton Carnival. Photo by Jason Chadwick.

One of the highlights of the Buxton Well Dressing Festival, carnival day will see crowds line the town's streets to cheer on a grand parade of decorated floats, carriages, marching bands and foot characters.

As a special treat this year, The Lermoos Band - a brass band from Austria’s Tyrol - will be providing musical entertainment on The Slopes at noon.

Carnival day will also see the return of pedalos and rowing boats to the Pavilion Gardens lake. Parkwood Leisure, who manage the Gardens, will be 'soft launching' the fleet at 10.30am before bringing them back seven days a week later in the summer.

The carnival parade will be led by this year's festival queen Lucy Higton, who will be accompanied by rosebud Mia Hobson, pageboy Leo Hobson and attendants Daisy Long, Breanna Carruthers, Lily-Mae Borra and Niamh Ward.

Commencing at 2pm on Station Road, the procession will follow a route along Bridge Street, Spring Gardens, The Quadrant, St John’s Road, Burlington Road, West Road, High Street and Terrace Road, finishing close to the Crescent at around 4pm.

Road closures will be in place throughout the town centre from 1.30pm and remain for the duration of the parade. Motorists are warned to expect delays.

A warm-up to the parade will be the Buxton Athletic Club road race, which will be started at 1.45pm on New Wye Street by the festival queen. The four-mile race is dedicated to the memory of former junior Thomas Theyer.

Immediately after the carnival parade, attention turns to the Pavilion Gardens for the traditional parade of touring carnival queens and entertainment on the promenade in the form of marching bands and the Billerettes.

Next up is the Buxton Lions Duck Race down the River Wye at 4.30pm, along with the free carnival day concert featuring performances from GrooveCake, Radio Memphis & The Mississippi Horns, Rockin Red Rocket and The Levis. The concert continues until 7pm.

As usual, the funfair on the Market Place will be open until 11.30pm.

All timings are approximate as stated in the official souvenir Buxton Well Dressing Festival programme, copies of which are available from the Tourist Information Centre, Hargreaves and the well dressing stall at St Ann's Well, priced £1.