With all the weekend sporting events, concerts and plays offered at South, teens in Grosse Pointe are hardly ever bored. Families with young children, on the other hand, often find themselves at a loss for age-appropriate engaging leisure. South’s first-ever carnival night was a game-changer.
The carnival kicked off on Friday, March 15 at 5 p.m. in the main gym. Geared towards elementary-schoolers, activities included a bounce house, paper bag decorating and a ring toss. Freshman Class President Helen Haindl ’27 described the carnival as a fun family-oriented community event.
“We want kids, if they’re bored on Friday, to come,” Haindl said. “Parents could entertain their kids and they could have something to do.”
Student volunteers were in charge of running games and manning the concession stand. National Honor Society Member Seely Troffkin ’25 entertained children in exchange for service hours.
“It’s a very fun event,” Troffkin said. “Tons of kids. I like kids.”
The class of ’27 had a tentative goal of $1,000 in ticket sales. A ticket cost $12 on GoFan or $10 cash. Advisor Katherine Parent said proceeds will go towards expenditures like Homecoming.
“A lot of kids are here,” Parent said. “It looks like they’re having a lot of fun, and I’m really happy with the turnout.”
Carnival night is Haindl’s first time managing a large-scale event. She said she was pleased with how smoothly activities were running.
“I think we did a good job preparing for it, and I’m hoping more kids show up, of course,” Haindl said.
If the carnival is successful, the community can look forward to more in the future.
“If this becomes a recurring thing, you should come,” Haindl said. “It’s mostly for younger kids, but if you’re older and you want to come, why not?”
