By:Laura Pelner
On June 16 Gerber Field on Dukes Parkway will begin a transformation it will become a haven of games, rides and lights for a week as the Manville Youth Athletic League prepares for its 30th annual carnival.
The MYAL carnival will be held during the evenings of June 19 to the 23 and it will have some of the same types of games and rides borough residents have become accustomed to as well as some new surprises.
The carnival will feature a disc jockey who will play music to entertain guests throughout the week and on Thursday, June 21, the band CC and Crew, which plays a mix of ’80s, ’90s and current music, will perform live. On Friday, June 22, and Saturday, June 23, there will be a monster truck at the carnival and Friday evening there will be fireworks.
"We’ve tried to improve it every year by having a DJ, more rides and bigger rides for certain kids," said Theresa Schaefer, who runs the kitchen and cooks food for the carnival. "We’ve made lots of improvements for different things."
Mrs. Schaefer is not a member of MYAL but she helps out with the carnival because her husband, Ken, is vice president of the organization. Mrs. Schaefer said that every night at the carnival, in addition to the hamburgers, french fries and pizza that are always available, she will prepare a distinct food.
"Every night I do a special," she said.
On Thursday, Friday and Saturday, as part of the carnival tradition, there will be clams. Though Mrs. Schaefer added that on the other nights there might be kielbasa sandwiches, ribs or meatball sandwiches.
There will be assorted beverages at the carnival, including mugs of beer, which are new. Mrs. Schaefer said the beer tent will now be selling mugs, which are bigger than last year’s cups, so that when people purchase refills they will get more drink for their money.
In addition to the musical entertainment, the carnival will have 11 different Midway games such as a money wheel, a T-shirt wheel or a ring toss and at least 16 rides including bumper cars, a huge slide and a fun house. There also will be a dunking booth. A professional staff will control all the rides and local volunteers will man the game and food booths.
The carnival is geared toward all people, not just children or teen-agers. Mrs. Schaefer said it’s usually a very successful event and thousands of people go. "It’s a night out," she said. "People can go there and eat and hang out, listen to music, play games and not worry about their kids."
Tuesday through Friday the carnival opens at 6 p.m. and on Saturday it opens at 5 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $8 or at the entrance gate for $13. On Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday bracelets will be available for $15. These bracelets allow entrance into the carnival and unlimited rides. On the other nights people can purchase separate tickets for the rides.
The MYAL carnival is the organization’s biggest fund-raiser of the year. Mr. Schaefer urged people to help support the youth athletic league by attending the event. "It’s all about the kids," he said. "It’s a lot of fun."
All the money earned by the carnival will go toward Manville’s Little League Baseball and Pop Warner Football programs.
To purchase tickets in advance or for more information call the Schaefers at 908-526-8621.
