Kiwanis Citrus Festival: Carnival fun
starts Thursday at Harding Park
July 22, 2015
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
It will be all old-fashioned carnival fun all the time starting Thursday at the 48th Annual Kiwanis Citrus Festival at Harding Park where families with kids and those out on date nights are guaranteed to have a great time!
This year’s Citrus Festival will be held July 23, 24, 25 and 26; hours Thursday and Friday are 5 to 11 p.m., Saturday and Sunday noon to 11 p.m.
The annual Kiwanis Club event — which benefits youth programs and activities — has changed its format this year at least to be a mega-carnival, the traditional place of all things fun including rides, food and plenty of games.
The price of admission for all days is $1 each for those 6 years and older; those 5 years and younger are free! But there are ride ticket specials galore including Thursday’s $1 Day where all rides and some food specials are only $1 each; pre-sale tickets offering 20 ride tickets for only $14 (a $6 savings!); and Bracelet Saturday where for only $20 pre-sale ($25 at the gate) you get a wrist band that lets you ride for free from noon to 6 p.m.
Of course there will be plenty of games and food aside from ride areas for kids and adults all provided by the Kiwanis’ longtime Citrus Festival partner, Guadagno & Sons Amusements.
“This year we’re focusing on the carnival,” said longtime festival coordinator Bill Grant. “No vendors, no live music, no beer garden — we’re just doing the carnival,” to keep the tradition of the annual festival alive while the club regroups.
“We had some years where with the cost of the bands we didn’t make any money to give back to the community,” but Grant said the club is planning a few activities during the year.
“We have some ideas,” for a few fundraisers so the Citrus Festival can return “Bigger and better...we’re coming up on our 50th year of having the festival,” and Grant said there will be a grand celebration in 2017.
“We’ll have more next year also...after all, we’re the oldest and biggest Citrus Festival in the entire country!”
The carnival this year will be a fun midway jammed with plenty of games and even more food stops for beloved carnival snacks including traditional treats — and the famed Guadagno & Sons corn dogs.
Grant said the Guadagnos, “Sharon and her husband Tony and their son Chris, are really excited about it. The carnival will be set up where it’s been forever, they’re bringing more food concessions and after four days of fun everyone can go home!”
Guadagno & Sons Amusements is proud to be known for “Making California Smile!” and specializes in providing amusement rides as well as game and food concessions to county fairs, festivals, church events, fundraisers, carnivals and more throughout the state.
Grant said the company “Has a whole variety of kiddies amusement rides and attractions that suit the younger set, they’re gentler fun for the real little ones,” that include the classic two-abreast horses and chariots Merry-Go-Round, Steeple Chase, Happy Pond, Kiddie Coaster, and Bear Affair among others.
A big favorite is “One where the little kids ride in strawberries...the parents love getting photos of that!” said Grant.
“And there’s the big Ferris Wheel that’s all lit up at night that you can see from Highway 126 and plenty of thrill rides for our teens and adults, stuff you wouldn’t get me on but others love them!”
There will be plenty of fun rides for more adventuresome carnival goers that could include Funnel Force, Metro Maze, Sizzler, Super Slide, Tilt-A-Wheel and Rock-O-Plane.
Who knows there might even be the ghoulish Zombie those carnival goers can enter at their own risk! Brave souls ride through this unique spooky experience on small carriages as they encounter a variety of ghoulish haunts along the way!
Guadagno & Sons Amusements also offers fun food such as cotton candy, hot dogs, popcorn, candy apples, caramel apples, funnel cakes, elephant ears, beverages, and more...including those famed corn dogs!
And there will be an exciting array of midway games that could include the Water Race, Balloon Bust, Duck Pond, Gold Fish, Roller Derby, Ring-A-Bottle, and more where you can win fun prizes.
Said Grant, “It will be fun…Kiwanis is here for the children and we’ll just have a good time and raise money to help local children. Next year we can go bigger and better, bring back the live music, bring back the vendors and bring back the Citrus Festival for its 49th year of family fun!”
Visit www.santapaulafestival.org for more information.
Harding Park is located at 1330 East Harvard Boulevard and there is plenty of free street parking in the area.
