PICTURES: East Preston Festival parade draws big crowds

Ten days of events culminated at the weekend with the festival procession on Saturday and a dog show on Sunday.

The theme for this year’s procession was ‘heroes, heroines and villains’ – and hundreds took to the streets of the village to see what the parade had to offer. The groups involved decorated themselves and their floats to fit the theme, with interpretations as varied as the Women’s Land Army and the more traditional comic book superheroes.

Prizes were handed out to the most eye-popping participants; see pages 12 and 13 for details of winners.

Festival committee chairman Kerry Frost said: “As chairman for the 2017 festival, it has been a huge privilege being part of a very strong committee dedicated to making sure East Preston had an unforgettable week of events with local charities, schools and community groups having the opportunity to highlight their role in our wonderful village.

Due to the good weather, only two of the 86 events had to be cancelled.

On Sunday, there was a large turnout at the village green in Sea Road to see the dog show, with many residents entering their prized pooches into ten different categories.

Festival committee member Janine Nicholson said: “Sold-out venues and record-breaking attendance at Festival evening events, tours, markets, tea parties, coffee mornings and afternoon garden parties has made 2017 one of the best festivals ever.

“The committee would like to thank East Preston villagers for their whole-hearted community involvement which, every year, creates such a unique atmosphere.”

See this week’s paper for a full list of winners from the parade.