PEWSEY carnival, which will be 105 years old in 2005, is one of the oldest and the best in the West Country. Parts of the annual two-week celebrations go even further back and are so old their origins have been lost in the mists of time.
The Feaste Tea to which the village's senior citizens are invited is said to date back to when King Alfred passed through on his way to beat the Danes at Edington in 878.
The carnival, which is held in September, is famous for its floodlit route and procession which takes place in the evening so that it is dark enough for the floats to be illuminated.
The centre of the village around the Market Place is illuminated with hundreds of fairy lights and in recent years there has been an illuminated tableau on the River Avon.
Last year the Wheelbeero race attracted more than 200 decorated wheelbarrows and the three Wine Race, where teams have their legs tied together, has joined the favourites.
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