LILLY WAIDLOW, THE CAKEWALK WINNER AT CCA’S FALL CARNIVAL. Janet Hansen/For The Creswell Chronicle
Nothing says fall like an outdoor carnival with sweet treats, games, raffles and lots of smiles.
Creswell Christian Academy (CCA) hosted their first annual Outdoor Fall Carnival at New Hope Baptist Church Friday, Oct. 12. Children of all ages enjoyed a harvest of traditional games and prizes under October’s sweetheart moon.
In all, 10 booths attracted lines of participants to join everything from a cakewalk to face painting, bean bag toss, spin the wheel and the ring toss – a perennial classic.
Spin the wheel was his favorite, said CCA eighth grader, Easton Gilday.
All game booths collected tickets worth 25 cents, or two bits as quarters were called by old-time carnies. The cakewalk earned eight tickets or $2 per entrant, a small price for scrumptious homemade desserts.
Boasting a classic barker calling participants about every five minutes, the cakewalk winners had their choice of beautiful cakes of all flavors and designs created by CCA Administrator Leta Petty.
The first-called winners were Erin Derminer and her sons, Truman and Harrison. After a second visit to the booth, Lilly Waidlow was the winning number and made a great selection from the sideboard.
John Goins, also a CCA eighth grader, walked the midway promoting raffle tickets wearing a traditional carny sandwich board. Raffle prizes ranged from a large sign promoting family to several gift baskets decorated for the occasion.
Aside from all the beaming smiles along the midway the sweet spot was the confection booth, a sit down affair with bright bouquets of fresh flowers and colorful signage. Orders for caramel apples, cotton candy, popcorn and thirst-quenching drinks flowed generously.
Teresa McGuire, of Cottage Grove, and her great-grand daughters, Isabella and Aubrey Allen, were on their way out with a handful of colorful treats.
”We were very pleased with the turn out, a great culmination of word-of-mouth marketing by students and faculty,” said Rainie Bennett, carnival organizer and CCA seventh and eighth grade teacher.
Not to be confused with Creswell Christian School, 2018-19 is CCA’s first year as an institution and all funds raised will go toward operating expenses. Administrators are already planning to expand their outdoor carnival next fall.
”The priority in hosting the carnival was offering the community a nostalgic and affordable family event, while also introducing the school to the community,” Bennett said.
CCA was founded to offer Creswell parents another option in educating local students.
”We have great kids at CCA, and all the faculty and administrators genuinely love teaching every student,” Bennett said.
