Kiddie Carnival opens June 28 in Athens

Published 6:45 am Friday, June 22, 2018

Imagine a carnival just for kids.

One with a miniature Ferris wheel, Scrambler, rollercoaster, carousel, pedal cars, rocket swings and all the other rides one might find at a carnival, only scaled to the right size for children.

Cool, right?

You don’t have to imagine. The Athens Lions Club Kiddie Carnival opens Thursday, June 28, in Athens and features all of these rides and more for only 50 cents a ticket. Throw in a Coke and a funnel cake from the concession stands, and life will be nostalgic and complete for an evening.

The carnival has 10 rides for toddlers and young children, including a miniature scale train that circles on its own track as kids’ ride. It also has such concession-stand favorites as popcorn, hamburgers, corn dogs, chicken sandwiches, chicken fries, snow cones and Dippin’ Dots.

This year’s opening ceremony starts at 6 p.m., with rides opening around 6:30.

Slice of life

The annual carnival has provided generations of fun for kids and their parents, grandparents and friends at the same site on Forrest Street since 1957. Each year, word spreads about the local treasure and its nostalgic small-scale carnival rides just for kids. As families enter the Kiddie Carnival, they see a small Ferris wheel spinning with children giggling and smiling as they rise above the crowd and then come back down. The kids on the rocket ships gasp as they drop a few feet from their orbit, circle several times just above the ground and then rise again. A small-scale roller coaster with five seats zips around the track. Old-fashioned pedal cars and a carousel with horses entertain toddlers as their parents look on. Bingo entices older siblings and adults.

Where the money goes

The Kiddie Carnival is operated by Athens Lions Club members and other countless volunteers. Assistance comes from spouses of club members, the Leo Club, local high school sororities and other civic groups and businesses, as well as individual volunteers.

“It’s great that we are able to run the Kiddie Carnival for the enjoyment of kids and their families at a reasonable cost, while raising funds to help in our community,” said Tim Carter, current Athens Lions Club president. “We help with several causes, including helping individuals with vision issues.”

With proceeds from the carnival, the local Lions Club has purchased a vision screening device and tested children’s eyesight in Limestone County and Athens City schools. Part of the funds from this year’s Kiddie Carnival will be used to fund six scholarships recently awarded to local high school seniors who volunteered at the carnival and met other criteria.

The key focus of Lions Club International is sight. The Athens Lions Club supports this by helping those in the Athens area who qualify with sight exams or glasses, as well as collecting used eyeglasses to be recycled. In the past year, they have supported Alabama Lions Sight Conservation Association, Camp ASCCA/Camp Seale Harris, a camp for youth with diabetes.

“The Kiddie Carnival takes me back to my childhood as a young boy,” said Keith Barksdale, incoming Athens Lions Club president. “I lived one block away from it and went most every night it was open. I thoroughly enjoy getting to be a part of it as a Lion member. Seeing the expressions on the kids’ faces and their parents makes all the hard work worth the effort. The people of Athens and the surrounding communities support the Lions Club and the Kiddie Carnival. Through their generosity, we are able to help many people in many different ways.”

How to go

The Kiddie Carnival is located across from Athens Middle School at 309 E. Forrest St. It is open 6:30–9:30 p.m. every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night from June 28 through Aug. 4. Additional information about the Kiddie Carnival can be found at http://e-clubhouse.org/sites/athensal/ or Athens Lions Club Kiddie Carnival on Facebook.