SPONSORS of Witney Carnival have been thanked ahead of superheroes and supervillains pouring through the streets on a day of fun for the whole family.

This year’s event will see children donning the garb of famous characters like Superman, Spiderman and Wonder Woman as the traditional carnival returns to the town today.

The heroes and their villainous counterparts will parade through the town centre from 11am before they bring the festivities to The Leys for the afternoon.

Brain Wright, chairman of the organising committee, thanked sponsors for their support ahead of the event.

He said: “We are extremely grateful to all our sponsors, with special thanks going to Newsquest, A-Plan, Witney Town Council, Wychwood Brewery, Chris Hayter and Urban Element.

“The carnival is jointly organised by the local service clubs and all the profit from the event goes straight back into the local community helping local charities.

“But most of all, the day is about everybody having to good time. We hope to see people there.”

After the procession, the event will take to The Leys from 12.30pm to 5pm where there will be a range of stalls, entertainment, food, drink and live music.

One of the events will be a donkey derby that will have six races leading to a grand final. Donkey rides for children will also be available on the day.

A dog show will start at midday, with a variety of mutts being judged at 1pm.

A wide range of trade and craft stalls will available throughout the day.

There will also be refreshments available, with a barbecue, pig roast, beer tent, Pimm’s and Prosecco bar, tea, cakes and ice cream.

Witney mayor Chris Woodward said the ‘magnificent’ event just continued getting better and better

The Carnival has been a staple of Witney’s annual calendar since 1928, when it was first started by the then British Legion – now the Royal British Legion.

It was originally held on King George’s Recreation Field at Newland and firms and schools would decorate a float for the procession – a tradition that continues today.

The carnival came to a halt after the outbreak of the Second World War but in 1988 it was revived by Witney Lions, Witney Rotary Club, Witney Round Table and Witney Rugby Club.

After restarting, it became more a fete than a carnival and was held at Cogges. More recently it has been held on The Leys.

For more information visit witneycarnival.co.uk