Carnaval del Pueblo 2009

This loud, colourful Carnaval del Pueblo fiesta of all things Latin American is a celebration of their roots for expat communities in the capital, and a massive party for the rest of us. This year, thanks to a ?50,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant, local people have been asked to contribute to the design of the main carnival float. The winner of the competition gets to learn how to take their design from concept to completion - and can take pride in seeing their float parading down the street, admired by over 100,000 people who are expected to attend. Proceedings kick off at noon when a procession of brightly-coloured floats wind their way from London City Hall down to Burgess Park, taking in Tooley Street, Borough High Street and Elephant and Castle along the way. Once at the park, revellers can enjoy regionally-themed food, drink, live music and, of course, dance late into the night. There are a number of different stages offering everything from traditional music to the freshest reggaeton and Latin hip-hop.