CARLYLE - The Carlyle Fun Dayz committee and the Town of Carlyle worked diligently to bring a carnival to Carlyle, and their efforts finally paid off.
It took 10 years of persistent phone calls to all the available carnivals in the west, trying persuade one of them to come, and for it to happen was worth their while. It is expensive for these companies to come and set up, so they need to make sure that the trip is worth their time
Canuck Amusements from Selkirk, Man., a family-run business took the chance and provided a midway for the town and surrounding areas to enjoy.
The midway was set up from June 28-30 at the Carlyle Sports Arena's parking lot. One of the conditions to have the carnival was to provide a great space for the rides and games.
On June 28, the carnival began and it was a great way to start off the summer holidays for the kids. It was going well, but after an hour the rides and games needed to be shut down due to the rain.
The fun did not end there because of the rain, as people could go inside the complex and enjoy live music from the band Switch.
As for June 29 and 30, 3,000 people attended the fun, which was very pleasing to the committee. They had 10 rides and a full selection of games to be played. There was also a beer garden set up, while others swung around on the rides.
Another live band came to town June 29 to entertain. Prairie Revolt played until the wee hours, keeping the crowd on the dance floor.
Tim Sedor, a committee member and chairman of the event, was pleased with the amount of people who supported the weekend, and feels that the crowd was quite large for the first-time gathering.
They also hope that they will get in the rotation of the carnival and that Canuck Amusements will return next year.
A percentage of the gate fees will be returned to the Carlyle Fun Dayz committee and they in turn will donate it to the new school project.
With this event in the books, their focus now is on Carlyle Fun Dayz, slated for Aug. 17 on Main Street in Carlyle. It will host a trade show, live bands, food trucks, games, a parade and much more. This annual event always has a packed house of people wandering the streets and enjoying the many things to do.
Sedor aid there will be a lot of things going on that day and they always try to add new attractions each year.
