BEFORE the procession itself at 7pm, there is a whole host of entertainment to keep the family entertained in the town centre from 10am.

There will be a wide variety of live music, magic, acrobatics and dancing to keep the crowds happy, as well as a children’s dance parade, lantern parade, and choreographed dance lessons at The Engine Room between 2.30pm and 5.30pm.

Here is a full schedule of what is happening when, so make sure you don’t miss out!

The Cornhill Stage

10.30am Magnolia Jazz Band

11.15am In the Mood

12.05pm Jordan Hill

12.45pm Magnolia Jazz Band

1.30pm In The Mood

2.25pm Two Tone

3.10pm Ashley Quinn

3.40pm Loveshack

4.30pm Jordan Hill

5.20pm Jazz with a Twist

6.10pm Loveshack

7pm Arcadia ‘The Bug’

High Street Stage

11.15am Jimmy Jay

12.20pm Exmouth Shanty

1pm Audio Vultures

1.55pm Bridgwater College Music Academy

2.55pm Jazz with a Twist

4.10pm The Wycombe Steel Band

4.45pm Audio Vultures

High Street

10.40am Chameleon Batonettes

11am Somerset Sapphires

11.30am Felicity Footloose

12.15pm Bruce Airhead

12.55pm Merlin

1.45pm Essex Marching Band

2.30pm Wycombe Steel Band

3.05pm Felicity Footloose

3.45pm Bristol Batala

4.30pm Bruce Airhead

St Mary’s Church

12 noon Wells City Band

2.15pm Somerset Songbirds

Angel Place Shopping Centre

10am ACTS Choir

1pm Somerset Songbirds

1.30pm Mr Brown’s Pigs

2.15pm Exmouth Shanty

2.50pm Jimmy Jay

3.25pm Merlin

4.10pm Mr Brown’s Pigs

4.55pm Jimmy Jay

5.30pm Wycombe Steel Band

Town Centre

2.15pm Children’s Dance Parade

3.35pm Children’s Lantern Parade

At 7pm it will be worth keeping an eye out for Arcadia Spectacular who will be showcasing their unique creation The Bug along the High Street.

The performance art collective, who combine elements of sculpture, architecture, recycling, pyrotechnics, lighting, circus and music into large scale performances and dance spaces, are based in Bristol and regularly perform at Glastonbury Festival.

The Bug is a six-wheeled amphibious installation which has wings built from submarine parts.

The main carnival procession starts at 7pm and will be led by the carnival committee’s official Guy Fawkes cart which has been sponsored by Angel Place Shopping Centre.

Approximately 100 entries will follow, including 44 illuminated carnival carts, and all will dazzle the tens of thousands of people expected to line the procession route.

The entertainment will be brought to a fitting finale when over 150 squibbers line the town’s High Street immediately after the procession for the traditional squibbing display.

Official charity collectors will be on the streets on carnival day and night, and organisers are hoping to beat last year’s collection total of £27,575.

As well as the official Bridgwater Carnival charity, collectors will also be raising money for 38 other local charities and organisations.

Those who miss the collectors and would like to make a donation can do so online at bridgwatercarnival.org.uk or by texting BGFC12 to 70070 followed by £1, £2, £3, £4, £5 or £10.

For the first time spectators can become judges and will be able to vote for their personal favourite entry in the 2018 Bridgwater Carnival by casting their vote on a new app.

Together with i2i Infinity Limited, Bridgwater Carnival are using the newly commissioned and aptly titled CarniApp to gather the thoughts of spectators on what they feel is the best entry in the carnival procession and who should win the newly launched People’s Choice Award.

The app is available on Android and iOS (Apple) mobile devices, and votes can be cast between the hours of 7pm and 11pm on carnival night.

Last year Gremlins CC claimed the coveted title of best local feature cart with their Run To The Hills effort, narrowly seeing off competition from Marketeers CC’s The Locker and Halloween in Deadman’s Hollow by Ramblers CC.

The Bridgwater Mercury will have a live blog throughout the day filled with videos, pictures, interviews and trivia on bridgwatermercury.co.uk.