Town Mayor reflects on Axminster Carnival

Published: 20 September 2026

It was a real pleasure and an honour to lead this year’s Axminster Carnival alongside Nick and Sandie.

Just nine months ago, we thought we might not even have a carnival. After many years, the previous committee had made the difficult decision to stand down, which was a very sad day for our town.

Following a public meeting, a new committee was formed and got the ball rolling. Starting from scratch, this small group of people took on no mean feat to make the carnival happen.

Through crowdfunding, a series of Bingo Nights, a Summer Fête and by supporting the Axminster Vehicle Extravaganza, this incredible little team worked tirelessly to raise the money and support needed to bring Axminster Carnival back to our streets. And last night, we saw the result.

There was a real sense of community, something that is at the very heart of Axminster. So much of what makes our town special is built on the dedication, passion and generosity of volunteers. Of course, there are lessons to be learnt and things that can be improved for next year. But when you consider that this committee started with nothing, and that many of them had never organised an event of this size and scale, involving so many different elements, what they achieved is a huge accomplishment. It takes an incredible amount of work to organise a carnival, much of it happening behind the scenes and away from the public eye. Last night was the culmination of months of hard work, fundraising, planning and determination.

As Mayor of Axminster, and on behalf of my fellow Town Councillors and our officers, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who gave their time, energy and support to make last night possible. In particular, thank you to Mike, Shannon, Dan, Donna, Lily, Alisha and Arran, alongside all the stewards, judges, volunteers and everyone else behind the scenes. From the committee to everyone who took part, supported the event, watched from the roadside or simply helped in any way — thank you! You should all be incredibly proud of what you have achieved.

Axminster Carnival & Events C.I.C is back, and what a fantastic night it was!