PEOPLE are being urged to turn out in numbers for Wellington Street Fair to raise cash for the town’s carnival procession this autumn.

Town centre streets will be transformed this Sunday (June 1) for the popular fair, which acts as a fundraiser for the annual carnival in September.

A record 80 stalls have been booked for the event, and Dave Rylatt, carnival committee chairman, is calling on the town to line the streets and show its support.

He said: “Numbers attending the carnival have been dwindling over recent years so we would love a good turnout at the street fair this weekend.

“Unless people start supporting it, the carnival could end.”

A wide variety of products, games and gifts will be on High Street and South Street on Sunday (see schedule below).

As well as the stalls, most town centre stores will be open for shoppers to look around.

Martin Reader, headmaster at Wellington School, will open the last fair at 10am before he moves to Cranleigh School in Surrey after the summer.

He will be joined by newly-elected Mayor Dave Mitton, as well as Miss Wellington and her attendants, who will introduce the majorettes performing their new routine.

Live entertainment will be performed for crowds outside the old Post Office and on the green in front of the baptist church on South Street.

Event organiser Louise Brierley said: “I was really pleased with the positive feedback we received from last year’s event; this has prompted us to put more effort in to make this year’s event even bigger and better.

“I must take this opportunity to thank many of the groups and organisations who will be giving up their valued time free of charge to provide entertainment throughout the day.

“We originally incorporated South Street into the event because of a surge of interest in street fair but the problem we now have is that both that and High Street will be full to capacity so we will be looking at ways to expand further over the coming years.”

Programme of events

High Street

10am: Opening followed by Wellington Majorettes
10.30: Wellington Whirlwinds Trampoline demo
11: Blackdown Community Choir
11.30: Somerset Red Arrow Majorettes
12noon: Karina Gracia Bollywood dancers
12.30: St John Ambulance demo
1: Sweet Coppin Clog Dancers
1.30: Court Fields Karate demo
2: Sweet Coppin Clog Dancers
2.30: Red Hot Steel Band
3.30: TAGB Tae Kwon Do demo
4: Raffle and Skintight Samba Band playing to 5pm.

South Street from 12noon

Wellington Arts Association, Hot Meat, Tobias Faulkner, Crow Dawn, Stampita, Lazy River