Lately, carnivals in Shenandoah have been far and few in between. Carnivals have been held in the Town of Shenandoah for a very long time. Back in the Sixties, it seemed like the Fire Department, Rescue Squad and VFW all had carnivals in the same year! Back then it seemed like everyone in town came out to the carnival. The carnival grounds were especially crowed the days that there was a parade, as the parade ended on Third Street at the carnival grounds! We can still recall the aroma of cotton candy, popcorn and delicious food from the cook house as we were walking towards the carnival grounds.
In the late Sixties there was a large blue Kyger tent and wooden benches next to the cook house where everyone gathered to play bingo. Next to it was the cake wheel stand. Volunteers would donate baked cakes, and if the wheel landed on the number where you placed your quarter, you won the cake!
Down next to the alley was the famous dunking booth. It was a large square silver tank filled with water. Young ladies (and sometimes men) would sit on the seat above the water and waited for someone to throw the softball and hit the target and if so, in the water they would go! As the ball would hit the target, everyone would then hear the victim hit the water and you would then hear everyone around the dunking tank cheer. On Sundays after the carnival had packed up and left, local kids would go to the carnival grounds and find a few softballs that had gotten stuck under the tank.
One popular attraction at the carnivals was the coin toss. At this stand one would toss a coin, trying to get it to land in a cup, glass, saucer or plate. If it landed on something they would get to take it home. One night we recall a big crowd had gathered around the stand as everyone was trying to land a dime in a small shot glass that was placed on top of a pyramid of glasses that was located in the middle of the tarp. It wasn’t the shot glass they wanted, but the $20 bill or other large cash prize that was lying under it! On Sundays after the carnival had packed up and left, folks with metal detectors would always come to the carnival ground hunting for money that might have rolled or bounced into the grass.
There used to be a lot of rides at the carnivals. We recall seeing the Ferris wheel, swings, octopus, carousel & more all at one event!
Local musicians would be showcased at all carnivals. In May 2014 there wasn’t a carnival but two musicians performed at the carnival grounds. A few members of the group Skyline performed. Afterwards Lenny Holmes performed his latest single called Tap Tap Salute. Mr. Holmes also performed this song at the Memorial Day Ceremony at the VFW and also performed at the car show at KVK lot.
The cook house always had great food; to include country ham sandwiches, Bar-B-Q Chicken & French fries! That is one tradition that is still true to this day.
We can recall one time in the 1980’s there was a circus held in the carnival grounds. The big top tent covered a large portion of the carnival grounds. We heard that a monkey got loose and bite a child that was watching from the bleachers.
Now days, in addition to carnivals, the carnival ground is used during Memorial Day Festivals, and other events such as Public Safety Days.
Attached is a current photo of the carnival grounds. The dunking tank and bingo and cake stands have long been gone. A small parking lot on the lower end has been recently added for over flow parking for those attending bingo games that are held at the community center.
How many of you remember playing pickup games of football & baseball in the carnival grounds field?
Pictured below is what the carnival grounds looks like now days and a picture from the carnival in 2014 and also attached a picture of the public safety day that was held in July 2015.
