Hilton Firemen’s Carnival will be July 15-18 this year.
People come from all around to attend the Hilton Firemen’s Carnival, one of the area’s largest. Traditionally held the last week in July, this year’s carnival will move to July 15-18 due to a change in vendor.
“We were at a point where we were starting to get complaints from the public and knew we had to do better,” said Mark Kalen, carnival co-chair. The Carnival Committee started looking for a new vendor two years ago. “There aren’t a lot of vendors who can do a carnival that’s not the size of a state or county fair” said Kalen. “It took us a long time to find one that had the quality of rides and attractions we were looking for.”
After searching the east coast and meeting with multiple vendors, the committee decided on Gillette Shows from Pittsfield, MA. “It’s a family-owned and operated business, and to say they take good care of their rides is an understatement,” said Ryan Hess, carnival co-chair. In business for over 60 years, Gillette Shows will operate a minimum of 21 rides and 14 games at the Hilton Carnival, including a giant Ferris wheel, classic carousel and the popular Air Force One. “I think the community will be happy with the change,” he added.
However, a change in vendor also means a change in date for the event. “It wasn’t a decision we took lightly,” said Kalen. “But the committee felt it was worth the risk to change the date and upgrade as opposed to keeping the same date and seeing the carnival further deteriorate.” The Hilton Fire Department supported the decision.
As a volunteer organization, the carnival is an important fundraising event for the department. In fact, they began raising funds back in 1901 with an annual Field Day, which was expanded into a three-day carnival in 1930, and became the Firemen’s Fair in 1950. In more recent years the event was renamed the Hilton Firemen’s Carnival and it became a four-day event.
“The carnival keeps our volunteer ambulances on the road,” said Kalen. “Ambulance rides are free to the community and the carnival allows us to do that.” While 95 percent of the funds raised through the carnival go toward Emergency Medical Services, the remainder pays for the annual volunteer banquet and shirts for volunteers.
The carnival also supports local not-for-profit organizations that run food stands during the four-day event. While organizations need to apply for a space, the fire department does not charge for the space or take a cut in sales.
As for ticket prices, they will remain the same this year. “We’re proud that we’ve been able to keep this a family-friendly event and give the community more bang for their buck,” said Hess.
For other information, visit the 2015 Hilton Fire Department Carnival on Facebook and look for Carnival advertisements in coming months in Suburban News and Hamlin-Clarkson Herald newspapers.
