By Cristina Boydell.

What’s one huge part of August Bank Holiday weekend for Londoners? Three words: Notting Hill Carnival.

The city had record numbers of police on duty following the riots this year, to ensure there was no violence or outbreaks, but that didn’t stop the turnout. Up to one million carnival-goers joined in the annual carnival.

This is an event where people flock to West London for one of Europe’s biggest street parties to celebrate Caribbean culture. The streets are filled with vibrant colours, exotic smells of jerk chicken and the islands, and sounds of the Caribbean, including strong beats on the drums and reggae groves.

An exciting parade winds around the streets of Great Western Road, Westbourne Grove, Ladbroke Grove, Chepstow Road and, of course, Portobello on floats – dancers, drummers and large sound systems leading the event.

One of the most exciting aspects of the carnival was dressing up! The crowd was very diverse: visitors came from all over the world, and ranged in age and clothing style.

Anything seemed to go for the Notting Hill Carnival, but there was definitely colour, and lots of it – the brighter and bolder, the better.

Accessories, such as feathers, fringed bags, hats and sequins were very commonly worn. The wardrobe reflected the mood of the attendees where everyone was out to enjoy themselves – sing, drink and dance to the rhythm of the beat.

And after the day of excitement, there are always the after-parties that continue the dancing and drinking into the wee hours.

Bumpkin Notting Hill hosted an invite-only VIP party for Wrangler, switching the theme of the day from Caribbean to American, but keeping the carnival vibes.

The British-country style restaurant’s floor décor, which is spread across four floors – ground, first floor, private room and attic room – was transformed to suit the iconic denim brand, with American dollar bills as drink tickets, BBQ food, celebrity DJs, fashion bloggers and live acoustics.

It was a “feel good” end-of-summer bash to end the night in style.