St Annes' centenary Carnival off for a second year

The organising committee has called off this year’s event, almost six months before it was due to take place.

For the second year running, the cancellation is down to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The 2020 Carnival – along with Lytham Club Day and similar long-standing annual landmarks on the Fylde calendar – was among a host of events called off last year as Covid-19 took hold.

The year marked 100 since the Carnival was first held and plans for a bumper celebration to mark the big anniversary were put back to this.

Now, the aim is for the big occasion to be marked in style in 2022.

Announcing the decision to cancel, the Carnival committee said in a statement: “We felt it important to let those who take part in and support Carnival to know of our decision, early, before preparations start to be made.

“Our mission at St Annes Carnival has always been to provide a safe and fun weekend for all the family. As it is held in a public space, we would not be able to nor want to host an event where numbers would have to be limited.

“Despite the positive rollout of the local vaccine programme, it is unlikely that sufficient members of the community will have received two vaccines by the start of July to make the event feasible.

“Our current Carnival Queen – Georgia Roberts – will remain in post for the coming year and our Queen-Elect, Kelsey Cottam-Bamford, has agreed to take up the role in 2022.

“The year 2020 was to have been a very special one for St Annes Carnival as we were to be celebrating our centenary. This has now been postponed twice but the committee are determined the celebrations will go ahead once it is able to do so safely.

“Rest assured this additional time will give us the opportunity to make sure we celebrate our 100th Carnival in 2022 in style. We wish every one of you, and your loved ones, a safe and healthy outcome to this virus and hope you will join us on July 8, 9 and 10, 2022 to share in our celebrations.”

The Carnival started as the St Annes Hospital Fete and has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charity over the years.

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