It may have been cloudy, but the weather didn’t dampen the party spirit at the first ever Kentish Town Carnival on Sunday.

Music filled Talacre Gardens all day and Xfm DJ and TV presenter Lliana Bird compered in the morning, overseeing an eclectic mix of sounds from local bands and artists.

A full carnival parade, with bright colours and a samba band, snaked its way from Queen’s Crescent Library to Talacre Gardens, with the Fun Art Bus, a mobile arts venue started by Kentish Town City Farm founder Ed Berman in 1972, following close behind.

The festival was made possible after the Heritage Lottery Fund gave carnival organiser Sara Newman £25,000 to develop a youth project to teach young people about Kentish Town’s social history.

The project allowed organisers to hold history walks for people interested in the heritage of the area.

Ms Newman, 32, who lives on a house boat moored in Camden Road, said: “Kentish Town Carnival was not just a street party and a parade, it was a tribute to the legacy of human creativity and the struggle for resources in Kentish Town.

“The mix of music was fantastic as we had everything from rap to reggae.”

A mini film festival and competition took place in a marquee in the afternoon, showcasing the best short films created by film-makers aged under 25.

BBC Radio 3 DJ Max Reinhardt made visitors laugh with his Instant Orchestra, getting everyone to chant words in one monotonous note and encouraging people to bring instruments so they could play along to tracks.

Camden Mayor Cllr Jonathan Simpson was in attendance at the carnival, which lasted from noon until 7.30pm.

Kentish Town councillors Jenny Headlam-Wells and Georgia Gould gave out trophies to winners of the film competition.