A carload of Carlinville youth heads to the plaza on the back of one of the Lions Club vehicles at the 2017 Lions Club Carnival. MCED file photo.
By ERIN SANSON
Questioner~Democratic Reporter
The Carlinville Lions Club Carnival will be back on Friday September 9th and Saturday September 10th for the first time in three years. A parade will be held on Friday, September 9th at 6pm starting at the Macoupin County Courthouse to kick off the Carnival.
The Lions Club Carnival began in 1944 as a Fall Festival for the community.
An advertisement for the first-ever event said, “The usual festival atmosphere will be provided with games, lunch stands, candy walks, bingo, popcorn and other attractions providing plenty of entertainment throughout the evening. There will also be a large auction of valuables, including hard-to-get items like shells and cigarettes. The Lions in charge are promising ‘for the life of you don’t miss the great Carnival of Lions’.
The first carnival was held at Carlinville High School and all profits were to be used to promote community projects.
While shells and cigarettes may not be as hard to find as they were during World War II, the events advertised 78 years ago remain largely the same as they are now.
The Carnival of Lions is always filled with a festival atmosphere and the games remain popular among children and adults alike as a way to show off with friends and win prizes. Bingo and the Cake Walk are two classic Lions Carnival events, taking over the corners of East Main outside Edwards Jones and Route 66 Craft Beer.
Of course, the date has also changed, the Lion Carnival is now held in September and over a two-day period. The venue also moved outside, keeping Carlinville Square busy with revelers.
Rides were added to the carnival in later years. The peanut wheel, bent broncos, wagons, fire trucks and the iconic purple train are the rides expected at this year’s carnival.
The Lion Queen Pageant was added shortly after the carnival began in the 1940s. Silver half dollars in lieu of tickets would award a favorite candidate the crown in 1947.
This year the candidates for Queen are Amelia Cosenza, Lillie Reels, Lanna Vanderpoel, Chloe Velasquez, Sara Wiese and Ella Wise. The Queen will be crowned on stage at 9pm on Saturday. The stage is located at the intersection of East Main and South East streets.
Fish fry and cordogies will be sold by Lions Club volunteers.
Funds from the event have gone to numerous community projects and charities over the years. As with previous years, funds from the 2022 Carnival will go to the Lions Community Improvement Fund.
