West End Carnival Trail

The West End Carnival returns to the streets around Plymouth Market on Saturday 29 August, from 11am to 4pm. It's a free day of family entertainment brought to the city centre by the Plymouth City Centre Company, and they're expecting thousands of people to turn up. The carnival fills the area with live music, circus performances, street theatre, vintage cars, children's rides, and a wide range of food, goods and creative activities to wander through.

Running alongside the main event is the West End Carnival Trail, which is a good way to spend the day if you've got kids with you. You pick up a trail map from one of the listed locations and set out to find ten carnival-themed characters hidden around the West End, collecting sweet treats as you go. Once you've found them all, you hand in your completed entry form by Monday 7 September to enter the prize draw. There are three prizes up for grabs: a £50 Waterstones Gift Card, a £50 Love Plymouth Gift Card, or a £50 Smyths Toys Gift Card.

Between the trail and the main carnival, there's plenty to keep you occupied across the afternoon. The music, circus and street theatre run throughout, and the vintage cars and children's rides add to the mix. With the food and creative activities scattered around, it's the kind of day where you can just drift from one thing to the next without needing a set plan. It's all free, so you can come and go as you like. The whole thing runs from 11am to 4pm on Saturday 29 August in the West End of Plymouth City Centre, around Plymouth Market.