HUNDREDS of children gathered for a day of run at Taunton Racecourse.

The Children's Festival took place on Wednesday, August 9.

The event was organised by Red Hot Marketing.

The day included games, visits from Disney princesses, and exotic animals.

Dawn Stephenson, Red Hot Media, said: "A massive thank you to everyone who came to the Children’s Festival yesterday at the Taunton Racecourse despite the rain and for all the positive feedback.

"We are thrilled that so many children had the chance to enjoy a day of playtime fun and magic and special thanks goes to Princess Anna, from the Disney film, Frozen & Princess Merida, from Brave, who delighted so many children throughout the day.

"We were thrilled that the Mayor of Taunton Deane officially opened the festival and that Beth Webb, Somerset children’s author, has kindly agreed to be our patron, which is a huge honour for the festival, as it starts planning for next year. The day’s entertainment for children had a range of activities including messy play, sensory gardening, drama & music, storytelling, exotic animals and so much more including Mercedes-Benz, who displayed some of their cars just for the mums and dads. A special thank you to all the stallholders & entertainers, who supported the festival and created such an amazing day.

"It was a day for children to play and enjoy family time and the organisers hope that everyone had a great day out, even though the weather was a huge disappointment and the inflatables were missing due to the rain, the day was a huge success and a big thank you goes out to everyone who came along on the day.

"It is hoped that everyone will continue to support the festival as it expands over the coming years. A special big thank you goes to the Taunton Racecourse and staff for their continuing support and assistance throughout the day and to all the parents & family members, who came with their waterproofs and wellington boots.

"The Children’s Festival is now firmly on the calendar of events in Somerset and already discussions and plans are being considered for next year, which will see the festival become bigger as the organisers announce some exciting news over the coming months about what’s happening in 2018."

Visit redhotmediamarketing.co.uk for more information about next year's event on Wednesday August 8 2018.