Events for this year's Patras Carnival are coming to a climax this weekend, when the carnival season ends with the Grand Parade, the burning of the 'carnival king' and a fireworks display.
Up to 30,000 young men and women have registered to participate in the night-time parade on foot that will be held on Saturday and the Sunday day-time parade with floats. 
The party atmosphere in the port city will kick off on Friday, with visual artists participating in the event "Painting the Music" on pedestrianised Agios Nikolaos road, followed by a presentation of "Our Best" of the 53rd "Treasure Hunt" game at Agios Georgios Square at 18:00.
At 20:30 on Friday, the Patras municipality floats accompanied by the band Bloco Swingueira will make a first appearance.
The carnival fun continues on Saturday, starting with the "chocolate battles" at 12:30 and followed by the night parade on foot (without floats) at 18:00.
The Grand Parade, the last of the carnival, will begin at 14:00 on Sunday and is led by the float of the carnival king, followed by the carnival queen (who this year is Olga Katsara), the Children's Carnival floats, the 138 crews of the 'Treasure Hunt' and the "chocolate battle" floats. The Grand Parade will be covered by the state television channel ERT1. The theme of this year's carnival is unemployment.
The last acts of the 2018 carnival will be the burning of the effigy of the carnival king at Agios Nikolaos pier at 21:00 and a fireworks display.
The last weekend of carnival is once again expected to attract a host of visitors to the port city, with hotels in Patras reporting that bookings are at 90 pct capacity and those in surrounding areas at 75 pct.

(Photo shows a scene from the Patras Carnival Grand Parade of 2017. ANA/Giota Korbaki)