Harborne Carnival

I’ve only very briefly attended the Harborne Carnival before, despite having lived there for a few years– mostly because it’s not too different from the usual funfairs, with the exception that this is on the high street itself, which closes off entirely for the event.
This year we came up for an hour or so, to take a closer look. Aside from the odd bandstand and (some very good) singing performances, and a glimpse of the carnival queen, I still couldn’t really tell much difference between carnival and funfair. Perhaps there are floats later in the day, but is found it extremely hard to find any useful information online beforehand.
That said, it makes for a very different atmosphere to a usual Harborne Sunday. There were plenty of rides suitable for small children (we were there with a 3 year old), and we were occupied for the time we had. These are the same rides that appeared in Cannon Hill park a month or so ago, though. At Cannon Hill, after a £1 entry fee, rides were £1 each, whereas at the Harborne Carnival they are £2, making it very difficult to have a cheap day out with kids.
So, it’s worth popping by, to see the High Street become a fairground, but I feel they could make more effort on the carnival front– or at least provide accessible information online.

There’s nothing like a carnival to give you a different view of a familiar High St. Most of the time, Harborne is a fairly run-​of-​the-​mill High Street, the likes of which you can see all over Brum, and indeed in any city in the UK. Charity shops, banks, cafes, traffic, buses… When the Harborne carnival takes over the High street in B17 it REALLY takes it over. There are literally thousands of people in attendance, both local residents and also folk from the nearby areas of Quinton and Bartley Green. A lot of effort goes in to the event, with floats and decorations the length of the high street, and there is a good selection of local food on offer. Word of caution: If it’s a nice day it gets VERY busy, and Harborne High Street doesn’t offer many escape routes to other areas of town/​sanity. If you go, you’ll be stuck there, but it’s worth a visit.

My friends and I only discovered the Harborne carnival last summer, which happened to coincidentally fall on my birthday, making all more reason to celebrate.
The infamous high street is packed, whether it be floats or just people, it’s seemingly one way traffic, but in all fairness, it’s something that adds to the atmosphere if anything.
Despite being a great day out, weather depending, you’ll see your fair share of topless men/​boys and drinking on the streets. With the pubs often closing for a few hours in the mid afternoon, people often take drinking outside, making the most of the Sainsburys towards the end of the street.
Some people may find the off putting, but as my rating suggests, the day, overall, really is a laugh. I’d definitely recommend it, especially to anyone in their late teens, pushing 20.
After all, it could fall on my birthday again, in which case you can buy me a pint.

This year will see the fifteenth edition of the Harborne Carnival, which literally takes over the entire high street of Harborne. The event was set up by Ron Hill in 1998, who took inspiration from the first Harborne charity fête in 1891, a carnival that had been revived several times, with the last in 1968.
Last year’s street party saw over 60 000 attending what is often called the UK’s second largest celebrations of its type. With the sun blaring, it was an absolutely perfect day out for friends and family alike. Taking to the streets are a wide range of floats and people, from dancers to old fashioned cars to bikes to brass bands, if you don’t keep an eye on the road, you’re sure to miss some of the most intriguing, artistic floats you’ll ever see.
Along with floats, the streets are also filled with fairground rides activities, and stalls which are all designed to raise money for local charities. The carnival is a hit with the kids, and the surrounding Harborne pubs are perfectly located for fueling the adults with alcohol to help them soak up the atmosphere. The smell of local grub sold on the street is also highly tempting, so be prepared to enjoy a jam packed, belly bursting event.
My first experience of the carnival was last year, and I cannot wait for this years! Not long to go!