The Ashburton Carnival is one of the oldest, possibly the oldest, surviving in Devon. Written records date it back to 1891, but it is believed to have been started in the mid 1880s to raise funds for a new hospital.
The original date for the Carnival was in November, after the harvest. 1999 saw its revival, as a supplement to the now established Summer Carnival
At the Summer event eight days of activities culminate in the grand procession of floats on the first Saturday of July.