Devizes Carnival procession promises to be a riot of colour and sound on Saturday evening.

Schools and groups have been spending weeks making their costumes.

Among them are youngsters from Five Lanes Primary School, in Potterne, who have been the overall winners at the procession for the past two years.

Parent Karolyn Pike said: “This is our fourth year making costumes for the carnival procession. “We try and make it more of a learning experience. We started thinking about the design just after Easter. “The children came up with ideas and they voted for the one they wanted.

“The children love taking part in the procession. It’s fun and it’s a really nice activity for a school to do, particularly for a village school where we have that community spirit.”

Thanks to funding from the Arts Council and Devizes Area Board costume making workshops have been held for between 300 and 350 people.

The workshops have been held for a number of years which have swelled the numbers of participants in the procession.

New this year is dance workshops led by Marianna Whitehouse, a samba dancer who has done choreography at the Notting Hill Carnival in London. Dave Buxton, the artistic director of Devizes Carnival, said: “Not only will the entrants look good in their costumes, the dance workshops will really improve the way they move on the road.

“The costume making workshops are so popular and we have got more schools involved this year. “We have been training the group leaders and they pass on their skills to parents and children. “It’s good and it’s really taking over nicely.”

It is customary for a samba band to lead the carnival procession and on Saturday the Portsmouth and Bristol Batala samba bands will combine to do the honours.

Other bands are Oi Sambistas! which is Devizes Samba Band, Samba Sulis of Bath, the Rainbow Steel Orchestra and Wessex Military Band.

The procession leaves The Green at 6pm and goes along Southbroom Road, Sidmouth Street, Maryport Street, New Park Street, Long Street, Bridewell Street and Hare and Hounds Street back to The Green.

All the entrants need to assemble at 4pm and the judging will then take place at 5pm.