Dumfries is gearing up for its huge Burns Night street carnival on Sunday night. It will feature 4,500 lanterns, hundreds of costumed performers plus floats and bands – all rounded off with spectacular fireworks. It’s part of the town’s Big Burns Supper festival which is nine days of comedy, cabaret, carnival and music all wrapped round the Bard’s birthday and which starts today. This is the Festivals 5th year running and the 3rd year it has taken over the town with a street carnival, and this year promises to be the biggest and brightest yet.
The theme of the carnival is musical revolutions and there will be floats surrounded by dancers performing to music from different eras. Among them is the Bay City Rollers Cat which will celebrate the sounds of the 70s. And the Bay City Rollers themselves will also be playing at the festival.
Main Photo – Pictured with the Bay City Rollers cat float are Zoe Rogerson (front) and Erin McGauchie (top right) from St Ninians primary school, Dumfries, with Emma Dalby (correct, from St Josephs College, Dumfries)
The Carnival will be leaving from Buccleuch Street at 5.00pm and will proceed down to the Whitesands and right along to Nith place, where the evening will be finished off with a spectacular fireworks display at approximately 5.45-6.00pm on Sunday the 24th of January 2016.
Police Traffic Advice –
EVENT/TRAFFIC DISRUPTION DUMFRIES
On the evening of Sunday 24 January 2016 the Big Burns Supper carnival parade will take place within Dumfries.
A large turnout is expected.
The parade will start at approximately 5pm from Castle Street, travel down Buccleuch Street and turn onto Whitesands dispersing at Dockhead. The fireworks which will be set off in Millgreen will commence shortly after the parade has finished – in the region of 6pm.
As a result various streets will be closed within Dumfries for safety reasons.
Irving Street and George Street will be closed from 1pm. Charlotte Street will be closed from 4pm.
All Whitesands car parks will be closed from 4pm.
Whitesands will be closed from 5pm until approximately 7pm. Church Crescent and Buccluech Street including Buccleuch Street Bridge will close from 5pm until approximately 6pm.
The diversion route will be via Pleasance Avenue or the Dumfries By Pass.
Those attending the event on Whitesands are asked to remain off the roadway to allow the parade to pass . The car parks will be closed to allow pedestrians to safely view the events.
There will be no access to Millgreen. The best viewing point will be from Whitesands.
Photo’s credit Colin Hattersley
