ORGANISERS are urging people to support Oxfordshire’s biggest outdoor annual carnival — despite the fact it will no longer be in Cowley Road.

About 15,000 people are expected to attend Carnival in the Park, which will see up to 70 music and dance acts perform in Oxford’s South Park on Sunday, July 5.

The event will also include a procession of masked and feathered revellers.

Although it is a scaled-down version of the Cowley Road Carnival, organisers say they are going back to the festival’s roots by staging it in a park.

The first four carnivals were held in Manzil Park and the back-to-basics concept has been extended with a home-grown theme this year.

The emphasis of the entertainment will be on local performers who reflect East Oxford’s diverse community, while procession costumes will be based on home-grown produce.

Henrietta Gill, co-ordinator of the carnival for the East Oxford Action charity, said: “People would rather be on the street but this is still going to be a huge event which will bring us all together to celebrate our community.

“To get back on the street we need a lot of support, we need local traders to come forward and support us with time and money.

“We know our community is extremely capable of being creative and inspired, and the spirit of the carnival is alive and kicking.”

As well as two live entertainment stages, different areas of the park will play host to sounds and cultures such as a Brazilian area with Capoeira, salsa and samba, a Caribbean area with reggae and dancehall music, a folk music area and an open mic stage.

Hundreds of people are also expected to take part in the procession, which will wend its way through the park from the Cheney Lane entrance on to the dance stage where participants will take a bow.

Eleven schools are working on colourful costumes for the one-hour procession, which starts at 2pm.

So far 10 local traders and businesses have signed up, including Abdul Shorkar, who will be offering food from his pan-Asian eaterie in Cowley Road.

Mr Shorkar, 39, who runs the First Floor Restaurant, said: “I’m very excited to be involved.

“I’m very proud of the Cowley Road as a whole and nothing has helped put it on the map more than the carnival.”

Dozens of traders have also got permission to block off six streets close to The Plain roundabout for their Cowley Road Carnival Fringe event on the same day.

A Carnival in the Park meeting will take place at the First Floor Restaurant tomorrow at 6pm.

To perform, host a stall or volunteer, call 07941 482376 or email carnival@eastoxford.com