Carnival

Carnival season in Carroll County kicks off next weekend with a trio of events, from Gamber to Westminster to Union Bridge. Kicking off in Gamber The Gamber and Community Fire Co. Carnival has its official opening Saturday, May 28, and runs through Saturday, June 4. Fireworks are scheduled for Monday, May 30, at 9 p.m., weather permitting. The carnival includes raffles, rides, food, games and nightly entertainment. The band schedule is as follows: Saturday, May 28 — Rock-N-Roll Relic's, oldies and variety.

Linden-Linthicum United Methodist Church youth mission teams are hosting a carnival and yard sale April 20, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Vendor and crafter parking lot spaces are available for $10. Bring your own table or rent one for an additional $10. In case of bad weather, the sale will move indoors to the fellowship hall. Contact beth@l-lumc.org . Maybe you don't have enough items to need your own space. You can donate household items and toys April 7-18 only to the Mission Team table, but no clothing, books or large furniture.

The Humane Society of Harford County and TD Bank's Bel Air store are teaming up to host the Carnival of the Dogs on Saturday, Sept. 24, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside in the parking lot at the bank's location at 115 Baltimore Pike in Bel Air. Dog-loving representatives from Baron's K-9 Country Store, Best Friends Fur Ever, Hickory Pet Supply, Interstate Canine Swim Center, and See Spot Run will showcase their products and services. A face painter will entertain the children with her bright and colorful designs, and a hot dog vendor will provide complimentary refreshments for all. Bring your spare change and donate it to a great cause!

It occurred to me that two current but unrelated news stories might hold the key to solving our nation's most pressing problem - sequestration. It is frustrating that Congress goes off on a "holiday" with two weeks to go before the draconian measures associated with sequestration kick-in. Let's send them on a "luxury" cruise, all expenses paid, on the Carnival "Triumph!" ("Triumph ordeal unlikely to hurt giant Carnival cruise company" Feb 16.) After several days of feasting and merriment, we can turn off all the power and water, and tell them we won't send the tugs out to rescue them until they address the federal government's fiscal issues related to sequestration and beyond.

Two teenagers are in critical condition after being struck by a car Tuesday night near the intersection of Governor Ritchie Highway and Earleigh Heights Road, police said Wednesday. At about 8:45 p.m., a 17-year-old girl from Pasadena and 19-year-old Sean William Snyder of Severna Park were hit by a 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier that was traveling south in the 100 block of Ritchie Highway, police said. Neither of the teens were in the crosswalk when they were struck, police said, and they were both wearing dark-colored clothing.

Good weather, good crowds and a host of attractions — from rides to a dunk tank, food to raffles — combined to make a successful 2012 edition of the St. Pius X Carnival, hosted this past weekend at the church and school on York Road in Towson. During the three-day event, from Friday to Sunday, carnival patrons enjoyed rides and games, appearances by sports mascots, raffles, a silent auction and food that included pit beef, crab cakes, baked goods, fudge and lemonade. The event also included sales of collectibles, used books and other items.

The Big Glen Burnie Carnival came to town Friday, offering rides, games and food. The car nival, which dates to 1908, will be downtown until Saturday. There is no admission fee, but ride tickets are $1 each or $14 for the entire night today and tomorrow. Proceeds benefit the Glen Burnie Improvement Association.

The Chesapeake Academy Parent-Teacher Association president Wendy Stepanuk announced that the school's May 4 Spring French Carnival raised more than $6,000 for the school's scholarship program.Sponsoredby Pepsi-Cola and supported by area businesses and Chesapeake Academy parents, the carnival was a day of games, foods and crafts in addition to performances in French by the Chesapeake Academy students.The day ended with a parent/faculty volleyball game. The parents were victorious in two out of three games.

Whether you're young or old, there's something about a carnival that screams summer. The flashing lights and noise of the midway, tiny tots with excitement in their eyes and cotton candy everywhere else, seeing old friends and exchanging news with long-lost neighbors, flirtatious young adolescents congregating around the ride with the loudest music and the longest line, the squeals of a winner when they hit and the groans of the losers when they don't....

ON THURSDAY, community leaders met to prepare for the Elkridge Carnival.The carnival will be held from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. tomorrow through Friday and after the traditional parade Saturday.A riding mower, a Bobcat, two pickup trucks and several weed trimmers were brought to the meeting.Business owner Bobby Boardman drove the Bobcat.Tony Oreto, manager of Boardman's Water Works Car Wash, flew across the carnival site in high gear on a riding mower.Carnival Chairman Craig Albright sent his son, Shane, to the meeting.

The Jewish Federation of Howard County is seeking vendors, volunteers and corporate sponsors for its 21st annual Purim Carnival, Purim Palooza, to be held Sunday, Feb. 24, from 1 to 4 p.m., at Reservoir High School, 11550 Scaggsville Road, in Fulton. The event will include entertainment by Washington Talent including DJ Doug Sandler, games, crafts, photo novelties, airbrush hats and shirts, megillah reading and Queen Esther's Spa, featuring manicures and hair styling. Michael Rosman will be presenting his juggling and circus camp.

Families looking for a cheap getaway, friends looking to do a little duty-free shopping and couples celebrating over some drinks and gambling returned Sunday morning from a two-night stay on the Chesapeake Bay, after embarking on a Carnival Cruise Line deal spurred by Hurricane Sandy. The sold-out cruise, called the "cruise to nowhere," hosted many residents from the areas - Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania - along the eastern seaboard that were spared from the worst of the hurricane-turned-superstorm's wrath, many of whom said the convenience of hopping on Interstate 95 was a draw to the deal.

Hurricane Sandy forced Carnival Cruise Lines to cancel just two of its many ocean voyages this week, including a seven-day trip to the Bahamas on the Carnival Pride that was to depart this past Sunday from the port of Baltimore. The cruise line is giving refunds to all passengers, but has decided not to let the 2,124-passenger ship merely sit empty in the Chesapeake Bay. Carnival is now offering a two-day cruise out to sea and back from Friday afternoon to Sunday morning. Rates start at $129 per person for interior rooms, based on double occupancy.

After Hurricane Sandy forced the cancellation of its planned seven-day Caribbean cruise, the Baltimore-based Carnival Pride has a new offer for travelers. The ship will sail a two-day cruise on the Chesapeake, departing from the Port of Baltimore on Friday, Nov. 2, and returning Sunday, Nov. 4. Fares for the "cruise to nowhere" started at $99 per person for an inside cabin but those rooms have sold out. Balcony rooms start at $179 per person. (Contact your travel agent.) With the storm approaching, Carnival Cruise Lines canceled the ship's planned Sunday departure for a seven-day cruise to the Caribbean, a rare move for any cruise company.

If you were hoping to escape the misery of Sandy's looming impact on the Mid-Atlantic, it's too late. Major air, rail and bus carriers have canceled most trips into Tuesday. Delta Airlines offered the last scheduled flights out of town Monday morning from Baltimore-Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport, where most airlines have canceled service for the rest of today. BWI officials said late Sunday that it would offer a "very" limited number of flights on Monday. Southwest Airlines suspended service at the airport effective at 10 p.m. Sunday night.

Reservoir High School will host a Homecoming Tailgate Community Carnival Friday, Sept. 29 from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the school, 11550 Scaggsville Road, in Fulton. The carnival will feature game booths, inflatable obstacle course, a dunk tank, basketball free throw, baseball speed pitch, corn hole, an arts and crafts table and face painting. Treats like snow cones, cotton candy, popcorn and dessert waffles will be available. The Reservoir Homecoming football game follows at 7 p.m. Admission to the game is $5. Call 410-880-8850.

The Big Glen Burnie Carnival, the best carnival in the county, began Friday for the 86th year and runs through this Saturday. If you haven't been there yet, make sure you pay a visit before the week is out. Summer wouldn't be summer without a ride on the ferris wheel and a healthy dose of cotton candy.More than a kid's event, the Glen Burnie carnival is a community festival. It's a place to chat with neighbors you haven't seen in a while and a pleasant way to support the neighborhood. The money you spend on rides and games goes to benefit the Glen Burnie Improvement Association and will be used for sidewalk improvements, concerts and donations to the fire company and charitable groups.

The last night of the Harford Farm Fair carnival was canceled Saturday evening after steady rainfall in the area. The carnival was deserted early Saturday afternoon as organizers initially made plans to re-open once the rain stopped. They had no plans to give up and cancel entirely, according to Farm Fair Chairman Skip Pieper, who said later at 5:30 p.m. that the carnival was officially canceled. "Needless to say the weather had a severe impact on our attendance," he added.

Good weather, good crowds and a host of attractions — from rides to a dunk tank, food to raffles — combined to make a successful 2012 edition of the St. Pius X Carnival, hosted this past weekend at the church and school on York Road in Towson. During the three-day event, from Friday to Sunday, carnival patrons enjoyed rides and games, raffles, a silent auction and food that included pit beef, crab cakes, baked goods, fudge and lemonade. The event also included sales of collectibles, used books and other items.