Totnes lantern parade

All hail the giant (lantern) salamander! Halfway up Totnes' main street the annual lantern parade comes to a halt: the drummers banging out a stomping beat & all the handmade paper lanterns swinging away! The sight of hundreds of kids with bees, dragons, cats, hot air balloons and even a pikachu was a thing to behold. It started @ Vire Island before dusk, the giant Elizabeth I lantern/costume lead by children up the bridge, then dancing around the huge salamander lantern- followed by a dragon lantern & then everyone else. By then the sun was down & the lights from the lanterns were in full effect! The procession lead up into town and was finally all topped off with fireworks at Totnes castle. The weather (which had been pretty pants during the day) held out til after the festivities, then the rain came down.