It's party time in the park after £500,000 makeover

A DAY of junk costumes, Brazilian dancing, free canal boat rides and face painting will mark the opening of the newly-refurbished Hailes Quarry Park.

The event kicks off tomorrow at 10.30am with a ribbon-cutting by Green councillor Alison Johnstone.

A parade of more than 100 local schoolchildren dressed in costumes made of junk and led by a samba band will then dance their way to the centre of the park.

The Edinburgh and Lothians Greenspace Trust raised nearly £500,000 to transform the former quarry and landfill site. The new features include new paths, safety railings, feature entrances and a play area.

"We want to encourage people into the park to see what we've done. It should be really good fun," said projects officer Louisa Maunder.

Events include a capoeira demonstration by local group Senzala, free canal boat and canoe rides, a bug hunt, a bouncy castle, face painting and hair braiding.

The junk parade is a nod toward the park's less auspicious origins. "It's a junk parade because the park used to be a landfill site," said Ms Maunder. "It's a way of teaching children to be environmental and to reuse things."