Bordon residents are getting ready to party like it’s 1994 as plans gather pace to bring back the town’s carnival for the first time since the mid-1990s.

More than 30 years on from its last outing, organisers say the long-awaited return is now firmly on track for October following the success of the town’s soapbox race.

The last Bordon Carnival is believed to have taken place in 1994, when dozens of floats, community groups and local organisations filled the streets in a parade that brought the town together for a day of celebration.

Whitehill town mayor Cllr Catherine Clark has led the push to revive the carnival after the town brought back its annual soapbox race last year.

Organisers say strong turnout and community spirit at recent events have shown there is a clear appetite for larger town celebrations in Whitehill & Bordon, particularly as the town’s population continues to grow.

More than 20 floats from organisations, schools and businesses will make their way through the town before food, drink and live entertainment at The Shed to round off the evening. Plans are also under way to include music, family activities and community stalls, creating a full day of entertainment for residents of all ages.

Committee member Gary Newell said: “We have had a lot of interest in the carnival and things are moving ahead smoothly we approached several groups who have previously been involved in the Soapbox race in order to create the carnival this includes groups such as the Whitehill & Bordon Community Trust, Woolmer Forest Lions, Kane FM, The Sacred Heart Church and many more.

“We want to make this an annual event unlike the soapbox race which is biennial as it takes less financially to put on. We have capped the amount of floats available to 30 this year as we do not want to over stretch ourselves during the first year of running the event.

“The event will be made free for everyone in the town but we will also be raising money for the Mayor’s chosen charity.”

The committee has also brought students on board from the University of Surrey to create a live event fundraiser for the carnival.

Alex Page, a member of the carnival committee, proposed involving the university through his connections.

The committee sent a brief to students as part of their live events module and Whitehill & Bordon’s Carnival Fundraiser was selected by Aneesha, Nazneen, Katie, Jiamin and Chao.

Aneesha said: “We are not local to the area as we are international students from across the world. I’m from Malaysia, Nazneen is from India, Katie is from Hong Kong and Jiamin and Chao are both from China. After visiting the site however we were amazed to see how the town has progressed from a former army town but has not forgotten its heritage. We wanted to incorporate this history in our graphics using green camo colours.

“We chose Hogmoor Distillery after discussing with one of the committee members Alex Page. We wanted a location en route to The Shed as this is where the carnival parade will finish. Hogmoor Distillery is on the route so it seemed like the perfect place to host the fundraiser for the big event.”

The group plans to use a bazaar-style event to raise funds, with craft and food stalls for people to enjoy. Drawing inspiration from their home countries and studies, they hope to create an event for the community ahead of the carnival in October.