Every year, the Holliston Lions Club gives back to the local community. The organization is constantly raising funds and completing community service projects for great causes. From Wednesday, July 9 to Saturday, July 12, the club hosted the annual Holliston Lions Club Summer Carnival, full of a variety of rides, games and other benefits.
Amid a concerning weather forecast ahead of the week that predicted rain on all four days, it did not affect the turnout in the parking lot of Holliston High School. The biggest target audience was younger kids who love the amenities like the rides. The most popular was “Pharaoh’s Fury,” a thriller in a ship-like vehicle that sways back and forth and intensifies in speed and height as it progresses.
Others were drawn to experiences like “Round Up.” The ride features a circular platform in which riders strap themselves to an elevated wall on the borders. As time goes on, the platform rises and spins around in every possible direction.
Those who experience motion sickness probably couldn’t find many rides they could handle, but the Holliston Lions Club Summer Carnival offers many more experiences to suit everyone. For instance, games were offered like shooting a basketball at the “Make It Rain” stand.
Each game offered prizes if the player completed their task to an extent. Rewards included basketball jerseys, stuffed animals and even rubber ducks at the “Lucky Duck” stand. The carnival gave everyone of any age an opportunity to have fun.
Several children were seen in the “Traveling Fun House,” a building full of obstacles and odd features like augmented mirrors or creepy clown pictures. There was also the “Kid Play Area” for kids who maybe did not want to be scared.
Additionally, the Holliston Lions Club Summer Carnival brings in a tattoo stand every year for kids to get temporary tattoos on themselves of animals or their favorite movie characters. Food and drinks were provided at stands throughout the hot days. “Johnny’s Ice Cream Shoppe” was quite popular, offering waffle cones and Coca Cola drinks.
The carnival was open from 5-10pm on Wednesday and Thursday and stayed open until 11pm on Friday. On Saturday, the festivities were available from 1pm-11pm. The Holliston Lions Club offered a wristband night for Friday from 9-11pm, in which the price to go on rides was nearly halved at $18.
The four days of fun culminated in fireworks on Saturday at 10pm. Rides were still moving strong for the next hour while riders could watch the fireworks from atop the ferris wheel or even the slide.
Since 1963, the Holliston Lions Club Carnival is always a hit of the summer for those local to the area, especially for young families who would like to find something fun for their kids to do while home during the summer. The annual tradition is set to continue for years to come, generating more smiles and screams during rides every year.
