WANDS are at the ready for the 2015 Ilkley Carnival, with the theme being announced officially as Fantasy and Fiction.

This year’s event, which takes place on Monday, May 4, coincides with the hugely popular, fan-proclaimed Star Wars day, meaning Darth Vader, Harry Potter and even ET could all be roaming the streets of Ilkley as part of the popular Bank Holiday carnival.

Previous carnivals have celebrated nursery rhymes, heroes and villains, British history, and last year’s popular Yorkshire Tour. Now this year’s theme has been selected, carnival committee chairman Andrew Stacey, is encouraging Ilkley to get creative and make 2015 a truly spectacular affair.

Andrew said: “Fantasy and Fiction has been the cornerstone of many pieces of literature and film over the years and with the event taking place on May 4, we thought it was the perfect time to finally celebrate a much-loved genre.

“The Ilkley community is known for their amazing carnival costumes, so we can’t wait to see what designs people conjure up this year!”

Anj O’Hearne, who coordinated the Best in Parade 2014 All Saints’ Primary School entry, added: “There is so much scope for creativity with Fantasy and Fiction, we are full of ideas and can’t wait to be part of the carnival again. It’s a great day out for all the family and brings the community together.”

Alongside the theme announcement, the carnival committee is also asking for local volunteers to help make sure the 2015 event is the most successful in recent times.

Andrew added: “We want to make Ilkley Carnival 2015 the best yet, which will impact positively on both the community and our local beneficiaries. This wouldn’t be possible without our volunteers or our sponsors.

“We have a variety of sponsorship and advertising packages available and we would love to hear from old and new supporters to ensure our Fantasy and Fiction carnival goes down as our greatest ever.”

For details about becoming a sponsor and available advertising packages, contact carnival committee member Colin Watson on 07885 200640.

To join the carnival’s team of volunteers, contact Andrew Stacey on 07951 890836 and to keep updated with all the news, follow @IlkleyCarnival on Twitter and Facebook page.