A Carnival Like No Other

Once a session, we celebrate Island Fair Day, a community celebration and fun day. The morning is spent setting up. Units split into smaller groups and work at various stations around the island to bake pies for the pie baking competition, build milk carton boats for the regatta in the afternoon, and set up their booths for the evening carnival. On Island Fair Day, the meals are special (i.e., cinnamon rolls for breakfast), and some community members choose to dress in fun or festive wear. 

The day culminates with a carnival that is creative, chaotic, and fun. Each unit designs a booth, creates all the signage and props, and establishes a shift system for facilitating the experience. There was something for everyone at this session’s carnival! Per tradition, the Troubadours hosted a marriage booth where people could marry whomever they wanted as many times as they wanted. On the other hand, the Mountaineers hosted a casino that was a front for an under-the-table legal firm offering advice and divorce filings.

The Vagabonds offered an opportunity to “Spill the Tea” at their booth, providing both cups of actual tea and the chance to exchange kind secrets. The Islanders offered stereotypical fatherly interactions through “The Dad Experience”. The Wayfarer booth was “Whack-a-Wayf,” the Navigators hosted line dancing, and the Voyageurs offered hairdos and manicures in a beauty salon experience. There was also a reality show spin-off booth called “Friendship is Blind” and a fast food knock-off called “McPio” in which visitors exchanged pinecones for more pinecones. 

We wrapped up the night with a few songs and went to bed tired but happy.