Walters carnival draws excellent turnout
Published 5:59 pm Wednesday, August 14, 2024
Eight-year-old Jacoby Johnson flies down a slide inside one of the inflatables included at the Walters Community Carnival on Saturday, Aug. 3. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
A banner and popcorn machine greet attendees of the carnival Saturday, Aug. 3, as they approach the Walters Ruritan Club Community House. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Pausing briefly for a photo amid the activities of the Walters Community Carnival are, from left, front row, Jacoby Johnson, Nolan Kovelkoski, Nova Johnson; back row, Jennifer Kovelkoski and Jessi Johnson. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Three-year-old Lexi Arrowood navigates the exterior of a bounce house during the third annual Walters Community Carnival on Saturday, Aug. 3. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Nine-year-old Hailey Hendrick scales the rock-climbing wall provided by the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday, Aug. 3, in Walters. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Four-year-old Charlie Franklin emerges from the fire safety trailer after successfully responding to the simulated situation of a house fire. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Six-year-old Leila King gets her bearings in the harness connected to the rock-climbing wall as Dominique King looks on. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Enjoying a bounce house at the third annual Walters Community Carnival are, from left, 5-year-old Anthony Spivey, 5-year-old Jay Kerns, 5-year-old Hudson Arrowood and 3-year-old Lexi Arrowood. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Three-year-old Tommy Franklin and Pam Holland share a moment during the carnival in Walters on Saturday, Aug. 3. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Multiple children ascend the rock-climbing wall on Saturday, Aug. 3, as their parents film and observe. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Exploring the third annual Walters Community Carnival are, from left, Jeanette Cain, 4-year-old Allison Cain, 1-year-old Emlyn Cain and Baily Cain. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Manning the grill at the Walters Community Carnival is Robert Eley III, center, with assistance from 9-year-old Lane DeJarnette, left, and 3-year-old Paul Sullivan. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Grace Kerns, left, and Ashley Peace smile for a photo as they attend the carnival in Walters. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Sierra Spivey, left, and Paige Snyder join for a photo at the Walters Community Carnival. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
Greeting those attending the third annual Walters Community Carnival on Saturday, Aug. 3, are, from left, Dot McDonald, Becky McConnell, Shiann Grady and Shawn Carr. (Photo by Titus Mohler)
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The Walters Ladies Community Club was seeking to do a great thing for the community when it founded the Walters Community Carnival, and the third annual iteration of the event Saturday, Aug. 3, left attendees feeling like the club had succeeded.
“We think it went well,” Walters Ladies Community Club President Shawn Carr said Tuesday, Aug. 6. “We had an excellent turnout, and everybody, as they were leaving, were telling us how much fun they had.”
She said she thought this might have been the carnival’s best year yet, estimating that about 150 people attended.
“It wasn’t just people from Walters,” she said. “It was people from all around, which was good.”
The event took place at the Walters Ruritan Club Community House, located at 27746 Walters Highway in Carrsville.
Carr said the carnival games and also the rock-climbing wall provided by the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office were some of the event’s most popular features.
“I think the free food was a hit because everybody got free food,” she said. “The only flavor that was left with the snow cones when I went to go get one in the afternoon was sour apple. They had gone through everything else. So that was a hit, of course, because of the heat.”
The carnival featured a fire safety trailer, which functions as a simulator and teaches children what to do in the event of a fire. The Carrsville Volunteer Fire Department brought a brush firetruck, and a paid crew from the county brought an ambulance.
As her thoughts turn to preliminary planning for next year’s carnival, Carr indicated that the rock wall will definitely be back.
“I think we might try to add another bounce house,” she said, highlighting one that has a three-story-high slide as being particularly impressive.
She noted that the Walters Ladies Community Club does fundraisers all year long to make the carnival possible.
“We have changed our whole club, outlook and everything, to become a more community service-oriented club to where we did more community events, and we worked on getting our 501(c)(3), and we have gotten that, and so that allows us to get more donations from outside the area and work on different community events,” she said.
The club’s next event is Cookies and Milk with Santa, set for Sunday, Dec. 1, at the Walters Ruritan Club Community House.
