Haliburton Rotary president Ursula Devolin said she’s choosing to focus on the positives after the club was forced to cancel its 2023 carnival, with no guarantees it will ever return.
The event was last held in 2019, and while there were plans to bring it back this year, Devolin said she has had great difficulty trying to find a midway operator willing to come to the County. Kitchener-based Homeniuk Rides ran the event for years, but shut down during the pandemic.
“We just can’t get a provider. We’ve tried for two years in a row,” Devolin told The Highlander. “We’ve contacted every provider in Ontario – this isn’t a huge industry, and all the operators still standing after COVID have full circuit schedules. It’s disappointing, but we’ve accepted there’s nothing else we can do.”
The celebration, typically held in August, has been a summertime staple in Haliburton for decades. Devolin said some of her favourite memories growing up came from attending the carnival with her family and friends. In recent years, with kids of her own, she’s planned her family’s whole summer around the event.
“The carnival has been a big part of my life, and a big part of a lot of people’s lives in Haliburton,” she said.
Devolin noted she’s remaining optimistic it could return in the future.
“My realistic side says everything I hear from the amusement operators is that this industry is not growing. More of the operators seem to be slowing down or shutting down completely,” she said. “I hate to say it’s unlikely [the carnival returns] though. I’d like to keep the door open.”
Devolin announced Rotary is expanding its Summer in the Park schedule, with 10 shows lined up this year.
“We asked ourselves as a club, ‘what else can we do?’ The one thing we’ve been super successful at is Music in the Park. So, we decided to build on that,” she said. “Last year, we would get between 300 and 350 people out. There’s nothing better than sitting beside Head Lake on a warm summer night, enjoying some live music.”
The season will kick off June 27, when The Ya Babys take to the stage at the Rotary Bandshell in Head Lake Park. Shows will run weekly through to the end of August, every Tuesday beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Other confirmed acts include: Nick & Benton, July 4; The Rockin’ Bobs, July 11; Rick Fines, July 18; Gary & The Rough Ideas, July 25; Adverse Conditions, Aug. 1; Jeff Moulton, Aug. 8; Sandra Bouza, Aug. 15; Ragged Company, Aug. 22; Suzie Vinnick, Aug. 29.
While the date is still to be confirmed, Devolin said there are plans to make one of the August shows “a little more special.” A children’s entertainer will be brought in, with Rotary announcing the winner of its annual car draw.
“It won’t be the same as the carnival, but it’ll be a little something for the kids and for families,” Devolin said.
