Local carnivals - was I dreaming?

I think you are thinking too much Jess. People just like a little colour in their lives.

I know lots of places have carnivals, it was the princesses that were amazing. Interesting that the same tradition existed in N Kent. But has it not died out in most places?
It reminded me of the thing where Catholics dress up girls in expensive bridesmaids dresses for their first communion. I was gobsmacked when i witnessed this in DH's family. People who were not well off spending £hundreds on a frock to be worn on a single occasion. (I think increasingly churches are saying "school uniform only" in an attempt to check this crazy escalation)
I suppose nowadays we see it in weddings where there are umpteen expensively arrayed bridesmaids. (Also high school - and increasingly junior school proms.?)
Maybe all this dressing up of children in bridal gear is a hangover of a tradition of displaying your pubescent daughter in the best finery that the family can afford and parading her through the streets on a festival day, so that the men can look them over as prospective brides. I guess that is it. It happens in African cultures where the marriageable girls all get dressed up and show off their dancing etc so why not here?

Our town in N.Kent has had a carnival parade for as long as I can remember. It used to be a really big event with several large lorries would decked out with various themes. Several bands and people dressed up on foot. These would be organized buy local firms and organizations. DH took part as couple of times with the rugby club. There have always been carnival princess floats taking part. Floats from other districts would come and there would be a prize for the best princess float. They had junior princess and for a few years OAP princess my nan was one back in the '60s.
Carnival still happens but there are nowhere near as many entrants.

There have been a couple of carnival parades here in Manchester today, and a Cheshire one I know about last weekend. Whit Sunday was aways a popular day for Whit Walks, with miles of main roads closed off whilst they passed through. Lots of dressed floats, brass bands, children walking and twirling batons.

There are a number across Devon each year. Paignton has an annual one. The biggest I have seen is Bridgewater Carnival, which seems to have hundreds of entrants, with illuminated displays on trucks and the procession goes on for hours.

Back home in Yorkshire we always had local carnivals. I was a carnival queen when I was about 14 and I loved it!. Where I live now they call them club days and all the local areas will have them in the next few weeks

It's a North Wales thing. We saw one in Barmouth. Couldn't decide if it was quite sweet - or weird.

Bit tacky I guess.