IT promises to be the event of the year and certainly one the people of Colchester have waited for long enough.

It’s the return of the Colchester Carnival.

Once a firm fixture in the town’s social calendar, it has been non existent for more than a decade, but thanks to Destination Colchester, several local businesses and a group of volunteers, it will return to the streets this Saturday from 6pm.

The procession will start in Goojerat Barracks, next to Abbey Field, before proceeding along Goojerat Road, left into Circular Road West, and then right, into Butt Road.

Across Southway, the procession will then go into Head Street, right on to Colchester’s High Street, right again, into Queen Street and then across St Botolph’s roundabout to Mersea Road.

Finally the floats will head right, into Napier Road along Circular Road North before finishing back in Goojerat Barracks.

Carnival organiser Ian Goldsworthy said he expected the procession to take between one and two hours and hoped the entire route would be lined with thousands of people from the town. He said: “We have been working diligently with Colchester Council, the Army, the police and everybody involved to see if we can get this together, but now we need the support of the public.

“Wouldn’t it be great to see 40,000 people in the town again? The whole place is a bit down at the moment and I think this will be just the thing to give Colchester that feel-good factor.”

“We are hoping what we do this year will be built on in coming years.”