Like many carnivals in Britain the carnival in Devizes began as a fund raising event for the local hospital.
Over the years a variety of attractions have been organized during Carnival week including bathing beauty contests at the open-air swimming pool, piano smashing contests, wrestling, pancake races, waiter's races, novelty football matches, slow bike races, floodlit dances on the Green, go-kart racing and pram races.
Many of the main carnival traditions still take place including the selection of a Carnival Queen and her retinue, the Confetti Battle, which now concludes with a firework display in the Market Place, and the Procession with its bands and decorated people and floats.
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