The Lions Club battled the rainy weather for three months. The Lions were able to conduct the annual carnival in Orange in the middle of November instead of the normal September dates.
Pam Honeycutt is the chairperson for this year’s Lions Club Carnival, and she is thankful to all the people that attended the carnival to help make it a success. “It was a wonderful carnival as it turned out. We really want to thank the people of the community because they came out in great force especially on Saturday night. I feel like it was a pretty successful carnival,” Honeycutt emphasized.
The carnival is the one large event the Lions Club undertakes annually to make money for the various charities they sponsor. Money earned from the carnival goes to buy eye glasses for people who need them and food baskets for the needy. “So, it goes back into the community,” Honeycutt added.
In the 78 years of the Lions Club Carnival in Orange the weather has been a factor causing cancellation of the popular event a few times. This year the carnival was postponed twice before it was finally held in November instead of the traditional September. Rain and cold weather caused two changes in the dates the carnival was to be held.
Honeycutt said the Lions Club’s board of directors are at least considering moving the carnival to a location with paving instead of the grassy grounds at the Lions City Park which became a quagmire because of all the rain. Changing the dates to a different season when the rain is not as frequent is also being considered.
The Lions Club owns the electricity at the Orange Lions City Park. The club has recently spent substantial money to upgrade the park to have three-phase electricity which is necessary to operate the rides during the carnival.
Suggestions to move the location of the carnival have included to the Orange Boat Ramp off Simmons Drive and to the large paved parking lot off of MacArthur Drive. The suggestions are appreciated according to Honeycutt, but neither of those locations have three-phase electricity which would require the Lions to purchase or rent generators during the carnival which would be expensive. “We are looking though to move it maybe to a different time of the year, maybe that will help us a little bit,” Honeycutt concluded.
The Lions are nearly finished packing up the rides and booths from this year’s carnival. Honeycutt promises they will be back with more fun and food next year.
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