Masks, feathers and jewels will bring a carnival flavour to Oxford's Cowley Road for a belated Mardi Gras celebration tomorrow.

For the second year running, the Plain Traders' Association will be holding a colourful event in Dawson Street, off Cowley Road, between Cafe Coco and Kazbar.

Erica Steinhauer, who owns Bead Games, Sweet Heaven and 1001 Bohemian Nights, said this year's event promised to be a winter celebration for Oxford's most cosmopolitan street.

She said: "It's going to be amazing and very spectacular.

"We are asking people to be masked, be jewelled, be feathered and be there, and we are going to be giving prizes for the best fancy dress on the theme of Mardi Gras."

Mardi Gras - literally 'Fat Tuesday' - is celebrated around the world on the day before Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent.

It began with Christians using up all their rich food before 40 days of abstinence and fasting for Lent and, in some places, has grown into an celebration - most famously in Rio de Janeiro and New Orleans.

The Oxford event - which takes place more than two weeks after the real Shrove Tuesday - will be held in a large Bedouin-style tent.

Those who dress up will be rewarded with prizes donated by the traders' association and local businesses as well as the invitation to strut their stuff in a pageant as part of the festivities.

Live acoustic music, a barbecue and drinks will add to the party atmosphere.

Ms Steinhauer said: "It's the second year we have done this and last year was unbelievable, just fabulous.

"What we have done is planted a very strong seed last year and what we have now are the first green shoots."

She added: "We have had fantastic support from a lot of different people, from some students at Ruskin School of Art, from some of the colleges, from Clinton Pugh who owns Cafe Coco and Kazbar, and from the council's east area parliament.

"I am looking forward to this becoming an annual event as the winter festival to counterbalance the Cowley Road Carnival in the summer. In the long term we want to have events at all sorts of venues in Cowley Road, focused around Dawson Street."

The free event will run between 8pm and midnight, with people asked to bring along something for the grill.

Donations will be invited and any proceeds will go to the Warneford Meadow Action Group.

The Plain Traders' Association also holds a Mad Hatters Tea Party, which will this year be on Monday, May 5.