Published: October 03, 2009 09:51 pm      

Carnival time in Orange

Lions Club event returns for annual run

With the arrival of fall, you know the Lions Club Carnival cannot be far behind.

The annual Lions Club Carnival returns for its 69th year and the eight day run of the carnival begins this Wednesday at Orange Lions Den Park. The carnival will be held starting at 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, and then Saturday will be “Kid’s Day” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and remain open through the night. The second week of the carnival is Oct. 14 through Oct. 17. Admission is $2 for adults and $1 for students.

According to Ed Freiberg, Lions Club Carnival Chairman, the annual carnival has become not only an Orange County tradition, but a family tradition for many people as well.

“Generation after generation of families come to the Lions Carnival,” Freiberg said. “It’s truly a family carnival, and, best of all, it’s not expensive. To know people return year after year and bring their children is something special.”

The annual carnival is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the Orange Lions Club. It allows the organization to help various charitable groups and agencies, like making food baskets for Christmas for needy families and sending children to camps during summer and providing eye glasses for those without just to name a few.

Although much of the carnival will be like most people remember from year to year, there are a few subtle changes and one big change.

“We lost one of our biggest rides, the Flying Bobs, to Hurricane Ike, and we are without it again this year,” Freiberg said. “It’s a very large and expensive ride, so we’ll have to decide what we are going to do about that. Since we will be without it again this year, we are reconfiguring the layout of the carnival slightly.”

Freiberg said the exclusion of the Flying Bobs will allow the Orange Lions Club to spread out more of the booths and games in the back section of the park and should ease congestion which always seems to occur there.

“Ike really beat us up last year,” Freiberg added. “We tried to fix everything, but we apparently missed some things. Some of the tents and signs had mildew, so we spent a lot of time cleaning those, and we lost a couple of small motors. I guess sitting around for a year after getting all that salt water (from Ike’s storm surge) didn’t help.”

Freiberg said the carnival set-up has progressed quickly in most cases, but the Lions Club did have one major issue to contend with this year. An underground power line had been damaged somehow and water damage shorted the power line. Lions Club members had to dig up the section of damage line, replace the conduit and run all new power cables.

Freiberg said the City of Orange has been very helpful thus far by repairing lights Lions Club members could not repair, and by also bringing in dirt to help fill in low spots which traditionally hold water after rain.

One big difference between this year and previous years, according to Freiberg, is the number of volunteers who have offered to assist the Lions Club by working the covered food area in the back section of the carnival.

“We’ve had a church group volunteer to help us, and nurses from the hospital, and even DuPont Sabine River Works has volunteered to help us out,” Freiberg continued. “We haven’t had a lot of that in the past, not like this, so we’re very appreciative.”

In 2008, because of the devastation Hurricane Ike caused to so many people in Orange, West Orange, Bridge City and the region, the Lions Carnival suspended admission in an attempt to encourage people to attend and forget their hurricane worries. It worked tremendously.

Now in 2009, things are returning to normal, and that means the admission charges have been reinstated for the carnival. Admission is $2 per adult and $1 for students.

However, on Kids Day, which is set for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday, children are admitted free.

Freiberg said the carnival will also feature a couple of new things for area residents, including the addition of Wii Bowling.

“The Vidor chapter of Lions brought in some new energy last year, and they had a football toss game,” Freiberg explained. “They are bringing it back again this year, and will also add Wii Bowling in the same booth. It’s something will be very popular with people.”

Now, with only days remaining and much of the carnival ready to go, the Lions Club members are hoping Mother Nature will cooperate.

“We’re just hoping for eight days of good weather,” Freiberg said with a smile pertaining to the carnival’s eight day run. “If we can get that, then everything will work out fine.”



Tommy Mann Jr. is a reporter for The Orange Leader. He can be reached at 409-883-3571, Ext. 2619 or tmann@orangeleader.com