I can remember loving Accrington carnival as a girl, standing on Broadway and struggling to see for all the people and afterwards going to the park -it was a really big thing and something to be looked forward too from one year to the next. I hope it does continue as I'm sure children still love it.
In Italy, being a Catholic country it's done 40 days before Easter, at Mardi Gras, as a final fling before Lent and is a really big festival. The kids are off school for it and all take part getting dressed up in costumes even if they aren't on a float or part of a group or dance team. There are many famous carnivals over here -Venice and Viareggio come to mind as well as the orange-throwing Carnival in Ivrea.
http://www.lifeinitaly.com/culture/i..._carnivals.asp
It's about having fun, eating sweets and getting dressed up in costumes and I think that's what they try to do with the carnival in Accy too. I have seen some photos of it on FB and of the carnival ground where other things were organised and it looked quite well planned. What I thought was a bit naff was having a so-called "celeb" on display surrounded by bodyguards - surely the local Carnival Queen was enough glamour. I'm sure most of the children would have prefered the money that was presumably spent there being used in a different way -perhaps in a memento or some sweets for them to keep and take home!