Echoes Of Maidstone Carnival, Brenchley Gardens

Another weekend another event on in Maidstone, this time it was Echoes Of Maidstone Carnival in conjunction with the Borough Council and Emergency Exit Arts. I would just like to say at this point that the Borough Council has done a fantastic job of organising events that we have been along to photograph this year and deserve enormous credit for creating such a warm, friendly and inclusive atmosphere at all of them (this may well all disappear with the re-organisation of councils taking place. We have so appreciated their beauty and positiveness).
The Carnival started with a procession through the town centre (via the High Street and Week Street and which finished in Brenchley Gardens)  which featured upwards of 350 people and included dancers, a Samba band, performers, giant moving sculptures, local primary and secondary pupils along with a number of community groups. It was a total riot of colour, movement and noise which I hope I've represented in the three extras I've added. A big shout out to the Old School Samba band in particular who were fantastic - they were so propulsive and passionate that you could feel the vibrations in your chest as they passed by (luckily on the way back to the car we spotted two of the members and so we managed to let them know how brilliant we though they were).
The procession finished in Brenchley Gardens and that's where I took the main image. Everything just came together - the exuberant colour, the friendly smiles and the gorgeous light. I just had to move my feet a little to get the best composition and then press the shutter. I hope it encapsulates the simple joy of the occasion. We had a fantastic time and hope and pray that it will happen again next year.