Community Corner
For the Kids and By the Kids
The City of Edmonds Day Camp hosts its annual Children's Carnival tonight at the playfield at Frances Anderson Center.
If you grew up in Edmonds, you probably have fond memories of the Children’s Carnival, an annual event hosted by the City of Day Camp. It’s a night for the children of Edmonds to gather, play games, enjoy carnival food, and just have a great time. All proceeds go to the Edmonds Youth Scholarship Fund, which helps give scholarships to children who otherwise could not afford to attend the camp.
“It is a very traditional carnival,” said Kathleen Penna, the supervisor of the camp and carnival. Penna has been involved in the camp for 15 years now, making her a Children’s Carnival veteran. “The carnival is actually run by the kids, with help from the counselors, and there will be things like face painting, a cake walk, a food booth with cotton candy and hot dogs.”
The children, who have worked with their counselors to prepare their booths, will take turns throughout the evening taking tickets, running the booths and giving out prizes, giving them valuable team-building skills along the way. Tickets for the games cost ten cents each, and raffle tickets are a dollar.
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“Different local businesses have donated prizes for the raffle,” Penna said. “We have gift certificates from and and the EMP and the Aquarium have donated tickets.”
All proceeds from the evening, which Penna estimates to be around $1,000, go back into the Youth Scholarship Fund.
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“We’re a very traditional day camp,” Penna said. “We run Monday through Friday and we like to do all the old crafts like Gak, tie dye, making candles and all those things that everyone remembers form their childhood.”
The camp is open to children just out of kindergarten through 6th grade, and there is also a camp for preschoolers called Camp Good Time. When campers graduate from 6th grade they often become volunteers, and eventually counselors.
And this crazy weather we’ve been having? Don’t worry.
“If it were to rain, and it has in the past, we just move it to the gym,” explained Penna. “It goes on rain or shine and everyone is welcome, all kids in Edmonds!”
The Children’s Carnival runs from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the (700 Main Street, Edmonds).