Memories of the Carnival

Special thanks to Caitlin for sharing her story 🙂

Who doesn’t love a carnival? It is a great time to take your family out and enjoy the day. The kids get to eat all the cotton candy and candied apples they can hold and then exhaust themselves on the endless sea of rides. A carnival brings back memories for a lot of people, from their first date, to being a kid again. Carnival food is definitely memorable too.

I will never forget my first caramel apple at the local carnival in my hometown. I was six, and it pulled out my front tooth! I cried, and my apple was dropped in the dust. After my tears subsided, I insisted on another. It was delicious, and in my opinion, well worth losing that tooth! That night is still imprinted in my memory. I remember eating a corn dogs smothered in mustard and drinking the most delicious lemonade from a little old lady who squeezed the lemons herself to make it. I remember riding the tilt-a-whirl and being sick. The carnival didn’t come to town for a few years and when I was around ten it came back. I was so excited because I remembered the glow of the lights, the smells. It was exactly the same the second time around. Only this time, I didn’t get sick on the tilt-a-whirl.

As I continued to grow up, I caught the carnival each time it came to town, and it’s always been magical. My husband and I kissed at the top of the Ferris wheel on our first date. It was our first kiss. Talk about romantic. You could say the carnival has been a big influence on my life. I will buy caramel apples from the grocery store hoping that maybe they will be as delicious as the apples at the carnival, but I’m always disappointed. The corn dogs never taste quite as good, and I cannot make a funnel cake that tastes nearly as good as one eaten off of a paper plate in the cool of a summer evening at a carnival. The foods just seem to taste flat compared to the way they taste under the flamboyantly colored lights and distinctive melodies that equals summer and carnival nights.

Carnivals can put you back in the wallet area, so be prepared to spend a little especially if your carnival doesn’t offer a “ride all day” type of bracelet. Those seem to be pricey, but that way you can ride all of the rides and not pay for each one. It is well worth the few extra dollars, just incase Junior wants to ride the tilt-a-whirl just one more time. Food at a carnival can be pricey too. But in my opinion, it’s well worth it.

Sometimes, carnivals will allow people in the community to come set up booths to sell their wares, such as apple pies. This is a great way to give back to your community as well. On one of my trips to my local carnival, I picked up a beautiful knitted blanket. It still keeps me warm on those cold winter nights and the bright, colorful print makes me think of those lazy summer days and cool summer nights at the carnival. Take your family out to the carnival near you soon, and see how many memories you will make.