About Us
About Us
Leighton-Linslade Carnival is the longest running community event in Leighton Buzzard and Linslade. As a market town, Leighton Buzzard probably always had an annual celebration for the townspeople and Parson’s Close Recreation Ground, the current location for Carnival, is the perfect place for this annual event, with its many council-run facilities in the park itself and with the beautiful 12th century All Saints Church within just two minutes’ walk.
2021 marked the 60th carnival in its modern day format, with a carnival procession winding through the town and finishing this year in Chartmoor Road. However, there are some records of Carnival going back to the early 19th century!
Our biggest aim is to foster great community spirit and to involve all the local residents and the general public from further afield to enjoy this much-loved event. We also strive to encourage as many local organisations to participate. One of the biggest benefits is the financial support we provide to many local charities and causes.
Together we can help to build stronger communities that are proud of their town and its local events.
Committee & Volunteers
To help with all the administrative and organisational tasks, there is a committee structure in place, as follows
Chairman Mark Freeman, 7 Station Road, Linslade LU7 2NA
Vice-Chairman Pat Carberry
Treasurer Jan Wright
Secretary Kathy Keeley
Committee Members Beverley Power, John Evans, Farzana Kharawala (Carnival’s Picnic in the Park Administrator), Amanda White, Peter May, Sheona Hemmings (Carnival Court Administrator), Susan Humphrey, Jason Ayris.
Council Representative TBA
Elections are held annually in October at the AGM and all members are eligible to stand for a position on the committee. Membership of Leighton-Linslade Carnival is free of charge.
We welcome any enquiries from those wishing to get involved with Carnival and its associated events and there are a range of opportunities to get involved with one of the largest local community events in Leighton Buzzard.
If you would like to help us on a volunteer basis or as a member, we would be very grateful to hear from you. We always need helpers with leaflet and programme distribution, helping at events with setup and clearing up, manning stalls, accompanying the procession and so much more – the more helpers we can get, the easier it is to run such a large event successfully and you would be helping to raise funds for some very worthwhile causes too.
Please click the button below to send us your details.
However you may like to get involved, you will be made very welcome and we will provide you with all the training, appropriate clothing and support you need to help you enjoy Carnival as much as everyone else does!
Carnival’s Picnic In The Park
Carnival’s Picnic in the Park is an additional event run by Carnival and its main aim is to bring a community event supporting 0-5 year olds and their families and carers. Like the main Carnival event, Picnic in the Park has been running for many years in Leighton Buzzard, since at least the mid-1970s. In fact, many local residents have fond memories of attending the event and now take their children, or even grandchildren, along now.
In 2015 the management of the event was taken over from the previous organisers and was reinvented to include some new ideas to make Carnival’s Picnic in the Park an even better fun-filled day for everyone taking part.
In 2018 the event was formally adopted as part of the events offered by Carnival, making it possible to continue the running of this event for many years to come.
Leighton-Linslade Carnival and Carnival’s Picnic In the Park takes place at:Parsons Close Recreation Ground off Grove Road
, Leighton Buzzard, Beds LU7 1SF
Contact Us [email protected]
Contact Us
If you need any further information or would like to get involved with Carnival or Picnic In The Park, please contact us using this form and we will get in touch as soon as we can.