15649/11CROWDS made the most of the sunshine on Saturday when Trowbridge Park was transformed into the seaside for the third annual beach party.
Nearly 3,000 people took advantage of the glorious weather to join in the fun.
Steve Nash, Trowbridge Town Council's sports and community development officer, said: "It was a fantastic day, the best yet. There were lots of people and it went really well."
It was the first time in the event's three-year history that rain didn't interrupt the fun half way through the day.
Up to 32 tonnes of sand were shipped in from a nearby builders yard and three giant paddling pools completed the beachside atmosphere.
There was plenty to do for all ages, with stalls, fairground rides and live music.
Quad biking was a hit with
youngsters and the donkey rides, which were introduced for the first time this year, were extremely
popular.
Local bands provided live music from the bandstand throughout the event, starting at 10 with Idle Threat, a young band whose line-up includes a 10-year-old drummer.
Acoustic duo Walford Hill wowed the audience with their original melodic material.
They were followed by Cursus, a band new to the west Wiltshire music scene who took listeners back to the 60s, performing hits by The Kinks, The Animals, The Jam, Squeeze and Joe Jackson.
Also taking to the stage were Cause for Concern, Starburst, Cursus, MGB, Hooker and the Buttmonkeys.
Popular covers band The Usual Suspects finished off the evening in style with hits from the Blues Brothers, Bryan Adams, The Commitments and the Rolling Stones.
The beach party, organised by Trowbridge Town Council along with the youth council, was funded by a £5,000 lottery grant.
Youth council representative James Teague, 17, said: "We were helping out with the donkey rides, which was fun.
"There was a good mixture of kids and adults. The evening was more adult based with the bands playing until 9pm.
"It was a great atmosphere and all the little children were really
excited. The aim of the event was
to provide something for parents with young children to get involved with.
"A lot of people find it hard to get down to the coast so this was the next best thing."
Partygoers showed their appreciation on the day by dipping into their pockets for a collection taken to help fund next year's event.
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