Complex sentence: The festival evolved from the Bougainvillea Festival staged in July 1978 to celebrate the first year of Self Government and during the 1980s the festival featured floral processions, sporting events and a Mardi Gras concert.
Split into simpler sentences: The festival evolved from the Bougainvillea Festival staged in July 1978 to celebrate the first year of Self Government. During the 1980s the festival featured floral processions, sporting events and a Mardi Gras concert.