Dancers decked out in pinwheels of red feathers wait for the merrymaking to begin at Notting Hill Carnival, one of Europe's largest festivals. The carnival was started in the 1960s by West Indian immigrants who wanted to counteract area race riots, and today it lures fans from around the globe to join the exotic two-day party.

This year, the Notting Hill Carnival will be held August 27 and 28.

(Text adapted from and photograph shot on assignment for, but not published in, "London on a Roll," June 2000 , National Geographic magazine)