The 732nd Hull Fair is officially under way.
In keeping with tradition, the city’s Lord Mayor, Councillor Maria Coward, rang the bell on the waltzer ride to mark the start of the event at 16:00 BST on Friday.
The annual event, one of the largest travelling fairs in Europe, has more than 300 attractions this year.
Showman Richard Story, who first worked at the fair as a teenager 60 years ago, said: “It’s not just a fair, it’s a tradition. It’s what we do. It never ceases to amaze me, the calibre of the equipment, that’s on this fairground.”
He added: “If somebody would have said 20 to 30 years ago they’d be travelling the likes of these machines, I’d have said no chance whatsoever.
“Now we’ve got all these mobile cranes and travelling gear. It’s unimaginable.”