Weeks of preparation in local schools, youthclubs and in the old Fairoak School building on Church Road ended at midday on Saturday July 10^th 2004 when the foot parade was led off by Bubb 4 (a 25ft silver rocket) and a thousand people set off onto the streets of Maindee.

The theme of the 2004 parade was "out of this world". It was about taking to the streets, having fun and letting off some steam in a spacey, creative way. It is also a symbol of the bridges that are building between the different ethnic, cultural and religious communities across Newport. Paul Cockerham, Newport Mayor , summed this up in his address to the crowds "If we had this feeling throughout the world, there wouldn’t be the trouble spots we have today". Our seventh annual parade was the biggest and brightest to date.

Every class from Year 1 to Year 6 at Maindee and Eveswell Primary Schools were in costume, along with the Active Girls Club, Pilot Project Circus, Repercussions Samba Band, Newport Surestart, Gingerbread, Taoist Tai Chi, Pop in Tots, Diane Screen Dancers, The Eisteddfod Merched Y Dawns Flodau (Flower Girls), Newport Community Circus, Batatan Samba Band and assorted carnival characters.

Maindee Police and Police Community Safety Officers did the traffic control. Manjit Mahil and her stewards made sure everyone on the parade was safe. Apart from some blisters on drummers hands (Batatan played solidly for a hour!), there were no injuries.

Hundreds of residents and visitors lined the route to cheer us all on. At Community House the Mayor, Guest of Honour Brian Selby and a posse of VIPs from Maindee, Pill, Stow Hill, SEWREC, GEMMS and Newport City Council joined the back of the parade as it filled Corporation Road and poured onto the Festival grounds at Rodney Parade.

Special thanks to: