COWLEY ROAD CARNIVAL IS A FESTIVAL FOR THE FAMILY

There is plenty to do for the whole family at the Cowley Road Carnival on 10 July. Noon - 5pm.

On 10 July the traffic stops and the Cowley Road resounds to the rhythms and vibrant colour of Carnival. With hundreds of dancers and musicians performing up and down the street as well as on stages there is something for everyone in the family.

The procession is at the heart of the festivities. This year, themed "All the World's a Stage" there will be nearly 800 participants, many from local schools as well as other community groups. St Gregory the Great school in East Oxford and Botley Primary are planning to bring groups of pupils themed as "A Midsummer Night's Dream" with costumes, music and dance. Also look out for dance and music from 1 Afro Fusion dance and Sol Samba. The procession starts at 2pm from The Plain and will progress up the length of the Cowley Road before finishing at the Church of St Mary & St John.

The church grounds will also be hosting the Discovery area where you will find demonstrations and activities from Science Oxford, hands-on collections from the Oxford University Museums/ Pitt Rivers; storytelling, simple science demonstrations, crafts and colouring-in and information on the Oxford University museums; face painting; a Nature Trail; all important cake - and you can climb the church tower for a bird's eye view of Carnival.

For younger children and a more relaxed vibe you can go to the Dingley Dell Family Garden Party picnic area at the end of Manzil Way. There you will find National Children's Trust (NCT) Oxford  with a baby feeding & changing tent, Baby Boogie, the Saltbox stage focusing on a full programme of melodic acoustic sets and Pimms for the grown-ups. Adjacent, there is the World Stage in the grounds of the Asian Cultural Centre.

The Manzil Gardens stage will feature dance throughout the afternoon with a packed programme from Dancin' Oxford showcasing local dance groups.

The Carnival's dance highlight is special guests2Faced Dance CompanywithKAPOWPresented by Dancin' Oxford and Oxford Playhouse. Claire Thompson of Dancin' Oxford says: "Look forward to phenomenal dance, vibrant costumes and audience interaction. Witness the inaugural Superhero Games when three of Planet Earth's greatest superheroes battle it out for the title ofMost Supreme Superhero...Ever.  There'll be goodies, baddies, quick changes and finally a superhero. Good for all ages."

For teenagers and above, there are fairground rides at the Bullingdon Car Park (behind Tesco) where there will also be a stage hosted by the Bullingdon Bar featuring bands and DJs. Plus there is so much to see and do all along the street that you won't have a single second to waste.

And come to Carnival on an empty stomach! There will be lots of lovely food to try from traditional Carnival favourites such as jerk pork and chicken, delicious Indonesian dishes from Oxford's Indonesian Community to cup-cakes and home-made lemonade from the Happy Cakes trike. And you can rely on Restore for a restorative cuppa and cakes too.

Carnival starts at noon, so don't be late. There will be programmes available when you get to the site. Please remember to bring a £1 to pay towards your afternoon's entertainment too. Carnival costs nearly £150,000 and it is essential to ensure we can keep Carnival around for years to come. The Carnival receives funding from Oxford City Council in another three-year agreement to 2018.

For more details of this year's Carnival see the website atwww.cowleyroadcarnival.co.uk

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Notes to editors

For more information, photographs and to arrange interviews with Johannah Aynsley, please contact Sarah Airey at sarah.airey@thebuzzworks.co.uk telephone 07855 086447.

Cowley Road Carnival is organised by Cowley Road Works, a registered charity.

Cowley Road Carnival receives core funding from Oxford City Council. Other organisations who have already agreed to support Carnival 2016 include: The Arts Council, Oxford Brookes University, the Patsy Wood Trust, Bybox, Stagecoach, Chamberlain Evans, Penny & Sinclair.