Amenia hosts annual carnival

AMENIA — The annual carnival returned to town June 29 to July 2. The Firefighters Parade was held on Friday, July 1, and the festivities were wrapped up with a fireworks display Saturday night.Hundreds of people lined the streets of Amenia on Friday to watch the parade. Local fire companies marched through the streets and displayed their firetrucks. Judges were stationed at intervals along the parade route to score the fire companies on their presentation.A bandstand near the end of the route announced each fire company, naming the chief and describing the vehicle fleets. Some of the fire trucks were nearly a century old. The announcer spoke highly of every group, offering thanks on behalf of the local residents for the service and dedication shown by every firefighter and volunteer.The fire companies were joined in the parade by marching bands, sports teams, the Girl Scouts, antique car owners, local politicians and a petting zoo. Many of the groups tossed candy to the children eagerly waiting on the sidewalks.When the parade ended, the crowd filled the streets to walk to the fairgrounds set up at the Amenia firehouse.The carnival offered activities for people of all ages. Dozens of stalls offered carnival games, sweet snacks, savory food, colorful novelty items and gambling wheels. Music played by Far Beyond Gone filled the air and lasted well into the evening. Lines formed for some of the fear-inducing rides, including one that swung passengers upside down. Parents leaned over the railings on the kiddie rides to wave at their children. Several of them noted that is was their child’s first time at a carnival. The first-timers stood out among the other children; they were the ones with the brightest smiles, riding the same colorful rocket over and over, never seeming to tire of the excitement.