Step right up and unleash the magic of carnival fun with the best carnival party ideas! We’ve rounded up our 28 top carnival party ideas for inspiration.
This carnival meets state fair wedding is so full of color, games, cotton candy, lawn games, photo cut-outs, and a Coney Island-themed handmade(!) dress.
Step right up for some fun!
The Frisbee Toss Game is a classic carnival game available for rent from Let's Party. Add this game to your event in the San Francicso Bay area.
After my last two posts about fairground architecture and Midway rides I had to share this amazing group of working vintage and antique Midway rides, sideshow booths and transportation vehicles. All of the images are from the Carters Steam Fair website. I came across the Carters Steam Fair website by way of Chocolate Creative, a blog that I follow. Can you imagine what it is like when the fair comes to town! Not only the rides but the trucks as well are vintage. Everything is in pristine condition. This family business loves what they do and it shows. When I went to their website I was gobsmacked! Please Dad, can I go to the fair? An aerial view of the fairground. Here is an aerial shot of the antique Swings. Fairground rides have progressed a lot from their unsophisticated origins. I wanted to show you the Octopus from several angles so that you can see the beautiful painting that is on the fence and engine cover. At night the midway becomes a magical place of light and sound. Carters Jubilee Steam Gallopers and all of the other rides are steam driven. A look at the inside decoration of the Steam Gallopers. The term eco-friendly was coined many years after these rides were made. All of the lights on the rides are light bulbs. I wonder what wattage they are as well as what their electric bill is! The Chair-O-Planes like so many of the round rides are done in sections of flat panels for ease of taking down and transporting the ride from town to town. This gives the architecture of the ride a jewel like quality as well as lots of flat surface to decorate. The first time that I went on the Dive bombers I was terrified of falling out of the open window! I have only been on the Dodgem Cars once when I was a kid. I ended stuck and hardly moving. It was a great disappointment. In the first post that I did about fairground rides and architecture I referred to this ride as the Helter-Skelter, here they refer to it as a Slip. It is also known as a Glide or Mat Slide. This ride is called the Lightning Skid. The lettering on the rounding boards at the top of the ride is quite marvellous. Minimalism is not a word that comes to mind when you think of fairground design. The lower picture is an interior shot showing the decoration. A children's carousel called the Toy Town Ride with vintage cars, bikes and horses. This ride is called Steam Yachts. Every inch of this ride as so many of the other rides is covered with decoration. I love it. The sights, the sounds, the smells are overwhelming, the fairground is bigger than life. The Art Nouveau signs on the front of this tent filled with distorting fun house mirrors are superb. Strolling entertainers. Who doesn't like fire eaters or are they in the same class as clowns for some people? Impress your girl and ring the bell! Games of chance and the booths surrounding the rides are referred to as the sideshows. I did not realize this; sideshow to me has always had a negative connotation as in "the freak sideshow". I had always wanted to own a candy floss machine, I think that I have just upped my ante here, this vending cart is so beautiful. Go to the Carter Steam Fair website. The are lots of photographs as well as videos. If you are on holiday in London try to make it to one of the fairs that they are at. Carters Steam Fair travels around London and the Home Counties from April to October every year. To find out where they are during this time check their website for information or call their information line at - 01628-822221.
Have an affordable adventure in your own backyard by going to your local fair! Carnival food, rides, games are a fun and nostalgic experience with the family.
This past weekend we attended the San Mateo county fair and it was amazing. The kids had so much fun petting farm animals, listening to live music, carnival games, and having such delicious carnival food! The kids finally got to go out and enjoy some outdoor activities and it
Nothing says “Summer in America” quite like a good old fashioned trip to the local county fair. I have so many memories from a number of fairs I’ve visited over the years, and even as I get older these silly fairs still maintain a bit of their strange nostalgic luster. I suppose the reality...
Retro Carnival Games is based in Dorset and we currently offer a range of 28 different carnival games, all beautifully handmade in wood to the highest quality. NOTE– Due to the high demand for this deal, the current delivery time is 3 to 4 weeks but please get in touch first to find out the current lead times as all games are handmade to order. 0777 577 3814 These profitable games are ideal for event hire companies, carnivals, fetes, fairs, schools, fund raising and charity events. We also supply pubs, hotels and corporate event companies, offering one-off branding, company logo and text in full colour. Retro Carnival Games are easy to transport, less than 10 kgs each and all fold flat. Lion Ball in the Bucket Game - A classic carnival attraction and fete game loved by all ages. It stands 4ft tall and has a rear support to make it very stable. It comes with all accessories including bucket and foam balls. Our games are traditional and popular with all ages and most of our clients see a full return on investment on their first outing. All our games are full size and commercial quality. The upright, free-standing games are around 4ft tall and have a hinged rear support and the table games are 4ft long, which sit on any table. All game accessories are included in the price. We are offering a Pre-Season Price of just £249 per game! We welcome collection from Cheshire as we love to meet our clients but can arrange a delivery if required. We are a family run cottage industry and pride ourselves on high quality hand crafted products and excellent customer service. NOTE– Due to the high demand for this deal, please get in touch first to find out the current lead times as all games are handmade to order. 0777 577 3814
We had a party. It was a success...or good enough anyway (never does go exactly as planned). The kid was happy. I'm happy to have it over with. Here's how it went down. First we invited a few people... The people came... We had a little CaKe... I decided to get brave and attempt making the cake myself this year. And after a lot of consulting with others and a bit of stress involved...we had cake. ...and CuPCaKes I nearly poisoned a few children with the red frosting. I had to use a LOT of red food coloring to actually get RED. Wasn't really thinking about how they might taste. Always choosing fashion over function...oops! And a little CandY... ...PoP cOrN...PeaNutS... ...CiRCuS PeaNutS... Then we played some GaMEs... SpiLLed the MiLk... ToSseD BeaN baGs aT the CLoWN... FisHed the PoNd... ToSsed the RiNGs... Had a CLoWn ReLaY... RaCed the DuCKs... Got DuNked in the TaNk... Won PriZes and FaVOrs... We had everything a clown could need, bow ties, red noses, BiG sunglasses, BiG flowers, whoopee cusions, trick cameras and gum (the spraying kind), a few noise makers and of course gold fish (yes, real ones)... I made a few flowers for the older girls and adults that helped. THANK YOU ALL!! Missed a few of the deCoRAtiONs... I didn't get much of the decorations up due to the hurricane force winds we had. That's right, we had a party in the wind :P Had a little of this... But I did manage to get my pennant banners up (and they even stayed up). I didn't get tables decorated as you can see above. A lot of the decor stayed in the house and didn't get used : ( Guess that just means we'll have to have another carnival : ) ...that is if the RinGmASteR allows it. What can I say, I'm one lucky girl to have this guy who puts up with me. Here he is after the circus (and I mean it literally!) sopping wet (from being dunked in the dunk tank), covered in frosting (from kids faces) managing to put a smile on his face so that I can get a picture of his shirt. What a guy! And that was that. We had a party. Now I can put these feet up (for a couple of months anyway) and rest for a bit. One more year, one more party down.
Throw the greatest backyard carnival your neighborhood has ever seen with these great ideas!
Easter Sunday I had the privilege to journey all the way to Waxahachie to attend their annual spring Scarborough Renaissance Festival. The weather was perfect (sunny by with a good breeze). It is located in a giant field (165 total acres) so keep in mind the possibility of mud if you plan to go after or during rain. As you approach the fair from the road, you will pass the castle-style signs as you wind your way into the grassy parking lot. Pay attention to the numbered signs so you can find your way back. Strollers and wagons are difficult to steer through the dirt/gravel so keep that in mind if you have smaller wheels or heavy loads. Outside food and drinks (except baby food) are not allowed. The gist of the fair is to become immersed in the 16th century. People come dressed in costume or you can rent some costumes at the front. The more serious adventurers talk and act like they lived back then. Food, activities, shows are geared toward the medieval way of life. They do have modern restrooms and lots of water fountains (well-decorated) throughout. The fair is open weekends (rain or shine) beginning the first week of April through the end of May. Each weekend has a different theme - such as Legends of the Sea (Pirates/Mermaids), Fantasy, Scottish/Celtic, etc. Throughout the day are different performances including 2 knightly jousts (the one at the end of the day tends to be more bloody). You can purchase a guide which lists the times and locations for the different talents/performances. Children can be knighted by royalty. There are a lot of activities including archery, a maze, camel and elephant rides, a few carnival-style games and rides (one of which is a spinning barrel), a petting zoo, face painting, hair braiding, a masseuse, etc. Almost all of the food that is sold at Scarborough can be eaten with the hands (as they would have done in the 16th century). Some of my favorite items include the Steak-on-a-Stick, Sausage-on-a-Stick, Fried Mac n Cheese, and Turkey Legs (not pictured). Some vendors do offer gluten-free options. There's also a few places that sell fresh fruit (fruit kabobs and packaged fruits). Another favorite are the wandering vendors - like this pretzel man. The only full-service restaurant/bar is the Rose & Crown Restaurant which gets pretty crowded. Tip - Bring lots of cash (almost all the food/drink vendors are cash-based) and dollar bills to tip the performers; there is an ATM available. Overall, this a great family-oriented festival and it's fun to dress in costume for the day. It is A LOT of walking so wear appropriate shoes! The official website: www.srfestival.com Physical Address: 2511 Fm 66, Waxahachie, TX 75167
The Frisbee Toss Game is a classic carnival game available for rent from Let's Party. Add this game to your event in the San Francicso Bay area.
