It was Father’s Day morning, actually one in the morning, and the crowds that packed the Oakland Recreational Complex just a few hours earlier were gone.
Carnival workers were taking down and packing up the rides, the Oakland DPW employees were still at work cleaning up the fields, and the volunteers of the Sports Association of Oakland (SAO) were wrapping up the completion of Oakland’s annual event.
Only several weeks ago it was announced at a town council meeting that there would be no carnival, and in those weeks the SAO pulled together 100+ volunteers from every sector of Oakland, from the youngest to the oldest, to put on what is undeniably Oakland’s biggest community event.
The thousands of attendees would notice little difference in the annual event which featured the traditional amusement rides and games of chance. Thousands feasted again on the cornucopia of food the Oakland non-profits cooked up and dished out over the course of three nights. Thousands came to gather, to play, to ride, to chat, mingle and bask under the soft early summer sun that shined each day of the carnival.
With the successful conclusion to this year’s carnival now achieved, questions as to how this predicament arose and how it will be prevented in the future is on the agenda of the new Public Events Committee.
Originally co-sponsored by the Oakland Public Events Committee and the Oakland Knights of Columbus, the mass resignation from Public Events left no one with any knowledge concerning contracts for rides, tent booths, or games of chance. Frank Monaco, the new chair of Public Events, appealed at the last council meeting for some direction from the council complaining that there was no documentation at all concerning this committee.
The governing body indicated they would be seeking to address Monaco’s concerns with regard to formalizing the structure, purpose, and processes that are still absent; and, the SAO has assured the council that all contracts and procedures related to the carnival would be shared for future reference.
But in the early midnight hours of June 16th, long after the smoke of fireworks had cleared, after the crowds were home asleep, with only Oakland’s DPW cleaning up the remains of the day, the thoughts of all the many volunteers could rest with the satisfaction of the memories that were created and the dreams of Oakland’s kids fulfilled.
A big congratulations and thanks to the SAO and to the army of Oakland volunteers who stepped forward to support Oakland’s Carnival in 2012.
Thanks to the SAO for putting together a carnival for the Oakland children in such a short time frame!
Theme this year “and the show must go on” And what a show it was! Best Carnival – liked that the bands were brought back, used to be battle of the bands with high school bands competing. That was back in the day when there was bands – now I am sure we could have a guitar hero competition. Great weather – Great Food – Kids all had fun – Great Fireworks! Great job Oakland Sports Association – proud to be part of the effort this year – call me again if you need me!
Thanks to all who volunteered to make the carnival a successful event.
Thanks to all the residents of Oakland and our neighboring towns who came and had a good time and supported the civic organizations.
Great job !
Hurrah, a great carnival and fireworks display put on by a great team of volunteers. I’m sending lots of BOO’S to all those Grinches who almost stole our carnival. BOO BOO BOO BOO BOO BOO BOO BOO!
Carnivalicious…..thanks Oakland
Thank you Mrs. Calabash, whomever you are….great carnival
I was able to attend on Saturday and watch the fireworks with my two little boys and lovely wife. It was our first time there and what a shame it’s taken us almost 3 years to make it to the carnival.
I would love to show my appreciation by sharing some of the fireworks images I was able to capture.
Thanks so much!
http://on.fb.me/Mp0LMt
Wow I did not know it was close to not going on.
A big thank you to all involved. Its been a rough year for me and the pleasure I got taking my daughter there was priceless.
Thanks again for helping make memories !!
I was in Elm Street the other night and overheard someone say that the carnival made $15,000. I wonder what it made in the past. Congrats!
The SAO did a wonderful job in running the carnival in spite of such short notice. Why not have them, if they agree, do it next year too. I’m sure the Oakland Public Events Committee wouldn’t object. And why should they. It requires a lot of work and a lot of people to run a three day event. They could take on other events like a “Native American Pow-Wow” or maybe a “flea market” or “peddlers fair” like we once had on the old Pime Mission property. Your thoughts?