THOUSANDS of people enjoyed hours of music and fun from across the world at the Thurrock Festival Saturday.

Held at Grays Beach Park, the event saw entertainment as diverse as the Tilbury Band to break dancing on the main stage with Gospel too and culminating in international artists and top 10 chart acts Sway, Nathan, and Kele le Roc.
Soaring temperatures kept the ice cream and drink concessions busy throughout the day and the nearby Grays Beach Park play area was also crammed with visitors – many enjoying the water feature.
Over the day, more than 3,000 people, young and old, came through the gates.
Visitors to the Festival Saturday event included the Mayor of Thurrock Councillor John Everett, other councillors, Thurrock Council Chief Executive Angie Ridgwell, representatives from the Development Corporation and MP Andrew Mackinlay.
They were there to help celebrate Thurrock’s diverse culture and many different aspects of the local cultural scene were on display, including the Thurrock Nepalese (Gurkha) Community, and the Thurrock African Group, as well as the Thurrock Racial Unity Support Task group (TRUST) and several different faith groups.
Jugglers, a robot and event tarot readings were also kept busy entertaining the crowds throughout the 12-hour event which closed at 10pm.
Thurrock Council’s Cabinet member for Central Services including diversity, Coun Barry Johnson, said: “Saturday was a huge success, More than 3,000 people came through the gate over the day and had a chance to experience some of the diverse cultures living in Thurrock today – and have fun at the same time.”