Bad weather didn’t put a stop to the fun as lights, music and fireworks lit up Dartford on Friday night.

The town’s eighth annual Festival of Light enjoyed a huge turnout, with around 1,200 people coming together to celebrate the arts and promote respect, friendship and equality.

Kicking off in One Bell Corner at 6pm, music was provided by the Phase Five steel band and Crocodile Brass, while youngsters carried lanterns as the sun started to set.

Elsewhere in the town, commuters returning from a hard day’s work were greeted at the station by Bloco Fogo Samba.

There were 12 local schools involved in the traditional lantern parade, which was led by the Mayor of Dartford Cllr John Burrell, Dartford MP Gareth Johnson, Dartford council leader Cllr Jeremy Kite and festival organiser Gurvinder Sandher.

Mr Sandher, who was also the man behind the town’s St George’s Day celebrations earlier this year, said there were “really good vibes” at the festival.

“I am really proud of how working with Dartford council we have been able to evolve the Festival of Light over the years,” he added.

“This year was one of our biggest to date and is an excellent example of how the arts can be used to bring communities together. Everyone who took part should be proud of what we all achieved in Dartford this year on a limited budget and next year, working with our partners and funding permitting, I have ideas to develop the festival further.”

The parade took place in the High Street, Hythe Street, the Orchards Shopping Centre and Market Street before the grand finale at Central Park’s bandstand.

Once at the park, there were a series of short performances and presentations to the schools, before a spectacular fireworks and lights display brought the curtain down on another fantastic event.

In the build-up to the festival, artistic partners Same Sky Arts delivered creative workshops in 12 local schools with some 650 young people benefitting.

Similar workshops will be held across Gravesham in the build-up to its own Festival of Light, which will feature as part of Gravesend’s annual Christmas lights switch-on on Friday, November 18.

For plenty more pictures from the festival, pick up tomorrow's (Thursday, October 27) Dartford Messenger.