Europe's Largest Illuminated Carnival Takes Place In Bridgwater

BRIDGWATER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 05: The 'Masqueraders' club exhibit their cart during the annual Bridgewater Carnival on Bonfire night on November 5, 2016 in Bridgwater, England. Bridgwater Carnival is the first of the Somerset Carnival season and sees 47 carts taking place, 27 of which are over 100 feet in length and the event gathers crowds of 150,000. It starts the series of parades in towns throughout Somerset in November, widely regarded as the largest illuminated Carnival in Europe. The major regional event which raises money for local charities, dates back to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Members of the carnival clubs compete to design and build carts or 'floats' in secrecy from each other, often using thousands of pounds they have raised throughout the year and compete for prizes that are awarded in several categories for the best carts in each carnival. Carts can measure up to 30metres long, often featuring state-of-the-art electronics and hydraulics, crewed by club members in costume and are decorated with tens of thousands of light bulbs. This yearÕs Carnival season starts at Bridgwater on Guy Fawkes Night, before going onto Weston-super-Mare, Burnham-on-Sea, North Petherton, Shepton Mallet and Wells, ending in Glastonbury. (Photo by Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images)