Excitement is building for the return of Malmesbury Carnival, which is now just one week away.

The month-long event is back to normal this year, having had a reduced programme in 2021 and been held on Zoom in 2020.

Dozens of event are taking place in the town between August 1 and September 4.

The carnival procession, taking place for the first time since 2019, is scheduled for September 3, while carnival staples such as Music in the Cloisters and Petticoat Lane will also be returning. 

Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard: Petticoat Lane

Events taking place from August 1 include a scarecrow trail, odd one out trail and chess puzzle competition.

The carnival dates back more than 100 years and raises thousands of pounds for local good causes. Even without the procession, last year's event raised £17,000 for the town's charities and voluntary groups.

READ MORE: Images show how Malmesbury town centre has changed

Paul Overton, from the Malmesbury Carnival committee, said: “Recognising the positive impact Carnival has on the community, we are planning for over 30 events which should appeal to everyone in the local area.

"Procession is arguably the main event. It attracts several thousand people in the town centre and includes a wide range of floats entered by local schools, sports clubs, businesses and individuals.

“We were unable to hold Procession in 2020 due to Covid and were forced to cancel in 2021 as groups had still not been able to meet due to restrictions, so we’re really excited to have it back this year.”

The committee has received a £1,000 donation from Persimmon Homes Wessex as part of its Community Champions scheme.

Pauline Fletcher, sales director at Persimmon Homes Wessex, said: “We’re really excited to be supporting Malmesbury Carnival again as it’s a brilliant community event.

“We have a long-standing relationship with Paul and the team, so when we saw they’d applied for funding again it felt right to give them another helping hand.

“Every year the programme gets better and better and this year is no different.

“It’s great to see things back to normal after the pandemic and I’m sure the carnival will be another great success.”