June 12 2024
Tonight is Carnival and the girls are FIRED UP. From the first day of camp, everyone has been talking about it… wondering if we will get shirts this year… what changes will the food court bring… what new rides we will have… and of course, who will win the dance contest. Anticipating carnival is perhaps better than carnival itself!
We wait 10 days to do Carnival so that the girls will be fully acclimated to camp. It takes 10 days to settle in (a fact noticed by Dr. Sevier 100 years ago that has remained consistent ever since), making this the perfect time for a celebration. Our hearts are soft, we are surrounded by friends and familiar faces, we sing the same songs, dance the same dances, and feel confident in every setting. In such a community, a Carnival is so much fun! We wander about with big smiles, chatting with friends as we graze on a wide variety of carnival food. We sample all of the in many rides spread out on both the softball and soccer fields. And we dance like banshees with the hope of being recognized as Dance Queen of 2024.
Carnival is one of our favorite EPs. “Carnival Al” considers Greystone to be his most important client and works all year to upgrade his rides to amp things up to a higher level. Gervais always finds at least one new carnival food item to add into his extravagant setup, ensuring there’s something for everyone’s taste. It is a blowout night, and the excitement throughout the camp is palpable. I will be doing Funnel Cakes with Gervais, a decades-long tradition we both enjoy (laughing about our mistakes over the years)…
You have likely not gone to a Carnival in a very long time… Disney, Six Flags, and Wild Adventures don’t count (they are all in a different league). I’m talking State Fair, or even better, one of those janky little traveling Carnivals that frequent small towns in the fall. If the chance arises, take the kids and see if you don’t have a blast. The memories of these simple places are worth the considerable cost (of time, money, and indigestion). Embrace your inner child and don’t hold back; you will not be sorry… all of us are Greystone Girls at heart!
Menu:
- Weather introduces a bit more humidity, a bit more heat… still nice!
- Breakfast French Toast Sticks and big sausage links.
- Joke “Hare Spray”
- Lunch Pesto Pasta (a camper submitted this award-winning recipe, no pine nuts!)
- Picnic Dinner Mini Corn Dogs, fried pickles, grilled cheese, chicken and waffles, french fries, fresh hot pretzels, funnel cakes, ice cream sandwiches, cotton candy, cookies, etc.
