The parade is about to begin at Leeds West Indian Carnival and the costumes are amazing:

Ginalda Tavares Manuel, from Leeds Young Authors, talks of her experience of Leeds West Indian Carnival:

If you want to know how exciting the carnival is, maybe this will give you a flavour.

Our reporter Jacob Tomlinson gets right into the action:

Here's a tweet from one of the police officers keeping people safe at the at Leeds Carnival today.

If a police officer says this, you know it's true

Halima France Mir, the granddaughter of Leeds West Indian Carnival founder Arthur France, talks of her experience of the event:

More than 100,000 people are expected to come to Leeds today to join in or simply watch the spectical of the city's West Indian carnival this year.

The leader of Leeds City Council says that the event makes the city an example for others to follow:

Abi Jaiyeola
Reporter, BBC Look North

There's already an incredible atmosphere and they haven't even hit the road yet for this year's parade.

It's due to set off in the next few minutes:

Ronan Sully
Reporter, BBC Radio Leeds

It's not long until this year's parade should be setting off.

Here's just a glimpse of some of the costumes we'll be seeing:

There'll be lots of fun to be had at the carnival today, but one thing to be aware of are the road closures around Potternewton Park.

From today until early tomorrow morning, these roads will be affected:

• Chapeltown Road from Barrack Road to Newton Road
• Harehills Avenue from Chapeltown Road to Avenue Hill
• The whole of Avenue Hill

For complete details of which roads will be closed, or partially closed, click here for Leeds City Council's information site., external

Whether you're a first-timer or veteran to the Leeds event, you should take a look at what Sanchez Payne and Malloy Lawrence think about Carnival.

The pair, from Chapeltown, discuss the culture, food, drink, dancing and what it means to them:

Ronan Sully
Reporter, BBC Radio Leeds

Many nutritionists will tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and on carnival day you've got to do it right.

What better way to start the day than with a bit of Jerk chicken for breakfast?

As Leeds West Indian Carnival celebrates 50 years, the first carnival queen tells us her memories of the first event.

The big parade itself won't start until 13:00 so right now the final preparations are being made:

And for some it's a time to ,make sure you get the best seat in the house - congrats to Bev, John, Pete and Joan (and Walter the dog).

They've got their spot sorted already:

Little did the founders of Leeds West Indian Carnival imagine that it would grow and evolve into the spectacle we enjoy today.

We spoke to them about their feelings as the event celebrates its 50th anniversary:

The West Indian Carnival in Leeds was launched in 1967 and has again taken over Potternewton Park for the August bank holiday weekend.

Image source, Maria Spadaforda

Arthur France (pictured below) initiated it after becoming homesick for his native St Kitts and Nevis and it's now the largest free event in the city, attracting up to 150,000 people.

Mr France said: "When you come to carnival it is electric, so many things going on, beautiful costumes, beautiful colours, beautiful music."

According to the organisers Leeds Carnival was the first in the UK to incorporate all three essential elements of authentic West Indian carnival – costumes, music and a masquerade procession.

Back in 1967 Arthur France invited the then Chief Inspector of West Yorkshire Police to his flat to talk about plans for the first ever carnival.

A few thousand people turned up, and in those days the parade started at Potternewton Park, but it travelled all the way to the city centre.

It wasn't until 1983 that the parade first took the route it does now. It's estimated that the event now brings £55m into the city's economy.

The Leeds West Indian Carnival wouldn't be the same without the parade, in many aspects, it's what the carnival's all about.

But this means that many of the roads around Potternewton Park will have to be closed, here's what you need to know:

Image source, Guy Farrar

Road information

If you're out and about on today, and not planning on going to Carnival, it's probably best to avoid it all together because a lot of the roads nearby are closed:

• The council will close some roads from 17:00 on Sunday and reopen them at 05:30 on Tuesday
• Roads affected will include Chapeltown Road, Harehills Lane, Harehills Avenue, Avenue Hill, Saville Drive and Mexborough Drive

You can see the full list of road closures here, external.

Worried your moves aren't up-to-scratch for the carnival this year?

Here's a simple demonstration for you - Rosemary and Carmen suggest:

Thanks ladies!

Watch the show as the 50th Leeds West Indian Carnival king and queen are crowned:

This year's carnival parade starts at 13:00 and there's expected to be about 150,000 people there to see it along the route, so make sure you get there early.

It then takes about four hours for the procession to make it's way back into the park.

Take a look at the map below to see where it goes:

Image source, Leeds City Council

Best places to watch the procession

Parade Start and Finish in Potternewton – The hill overlooking the main stage and costume arena.Parade Start – Junction of Harehills Lane and Roundhay Road.Along the Route – Roundhay Road and Chapeltown Road.Parade Return to Potternewton Park – Junction of Chapeltown Road and Harehills Avenue; Harehills Avenue.

Way before the Leeds West Indian Carnival starts proper, the party has already begun - at 06:00 this morning!

Carnival day started with this traditional early morning soca music jam and mini parade known as J'ouvert - bad news if you live around Potternewton Park and were trying to have a bank holiday lie-in.

Good news if you like to party!