PENHOLD – It may be the middle of winter but if there is an old-fashioned carnival in play there will always be cotton candy.
And that’s also the case if the carnival is indoors. The doors were open on Jan. 14 at the Penhold Regional Multiplex for the first annual Penhold Winter Carnival.
"The cotton candy is selling off the charts here. What is a carnival without cotton candy?” said Brenda Mahoney, chairperson of the Penhold Optimist Club Skatepark Committee. She and members of the committee were fundraising for the planned facility by selling cotton candy for $3 a bag.
"Overall it has been good, but it hasn’t done great,” she said of her club’s overall fundraising campaign. "We are looking for large donors, looking for big sponsors.”
Mahoney’s booth was a hit attraction at the carnival, which was hosted by the Town of Penhold as another way to bring families together and build a sense of community.
Melanie Willerth, the town’s events and communications coordinator, said with the established annual Winterfest not coming until Feb. 18 and with this winter seemingly long and cold, it was also a good idea to have an extra afternoon of indoor fun and games for families to break the dreariness of the winter blahs.
From 1 to 3 p.m., children eagerly played carnival-style games, had great fun in two large bouncy castles, enjoyed a bit of floor hockey, tried some basketball and had plenty of chuckles at a tattoo table.
"I am really impressed with the turnout. People seem to be having a lot of fun, and I am really glad we were able to put it on,” said Willerth, adding it was a good primer for the upcoming Winterfest, which will be held on the Family Day long weekend both indoors and outdoors at the multiplex. "It is good to see the support that Penhold wants these activities, so we will keep doing them as long as they want them. I would love to have this (carnival) as an annual event.”
In the meantime, the Penhold Optimist Club will be hosting its Vintage Carnival for citizens 18 years of age and over on April 7 at the Memorial Hall. The event is also a fundraiser for the planned skatepark. The events will feature an evening dinner and dance. Tickets cost $50 each. For more information call Mahoney at 403-872-8628 or Melanie Radway at 403-848-4229.
Melanie Willerth, events and communications coordinator for the Town of Penhold
"I am really impressed with the turnout. People seem to be having a lot of fun, and I am really glad we were able to put it on. I would love to have this (carnival) as an annual event."
