An open day at Lancashire Archives will celebrate Preston Caribbean Carnival.

The Archives, located in Bow Lane in the city centre, is currently hosting the Sunshine, Soca and Spice exhibition.

The exhibition is helping to record Carnival activities and share Caribbean history, thanks to a £37,500 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Read more: Taking a look at the city centre exhibition celebrating 50 years of Preston Caribbean Carnival

Carnival was founded in 1974 by Prestonians with origins in St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dominica and other Caribbean islands. They had participated in the 1972 Preston Guild Community procession and had a desire to create an annual cultural celebration featuring a processional and park-based event for residents and visitors.

Having celebrated the 50th anniversary in 2024, Carnival is the longest running event in the city bar the Preston Guild, which happens once every 20 years. It’s also one of the last remaining carnivals in the North West.

The Carnival open day will take place on Wednesday (19 February).

It’s an informal drop-in event that will include demos by local dance troupes, volunteers in Carnival costume, children’s creative activities, plus the chance to try on a headdress and, of course, access the exhibition.

Tracey Harris from Preston Caribbean Carnival said: “You’ll be able to chat to the Carnival  committee and the Archives staff, who can talk you through the exhibition and facilities available.

“Please drop by and bring your family and friends – we look forward to seeing you!”

Read more: Shawn Sharpe: Transforming Preston’s cultural scene and inspiring the next generation

The Preston Caribbean Carnival exhibition open day takes place at Lancashire Archives in Bow Lane on Wednesday 19 February between 11am and 2pm. Parking is available on site.

The Sunshine, Soca and Spice exhibition itself is on until June, with events and training running throughout for volunteers, local groups and schools.

A series of free workshops will take place on Saturday 8 March, Saturday 12 April and Saturday 10 May. Historian Stephen Poleon will be introducing local resources for researching British Caribbean histories. The workshops are for those who are interested in community or local history, or tracing their own family’s history.

Once the exhibition finishes, the project will preserve images of large piece costumes and stories from founders and descendants to ensure the heritage of Carnival can be shared with future generations.

Check out the Lancashire Archives events page for more information on the exhibition and upcoming events.

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This story was made possible by you, our readers, and a host of organisations in the city, through our Crowdfund Lancashire appeal, which unlocked support from the Lancashire Culture and Sport Fund provided by Lancashire County Council. You can see all our coverage and, if you know of an arts project or event in the city we should be covering, you can submit it for our event listings and/or send details to contactus@blogpreston.co.uk for us to cover it as a story on the Blog.