Mountain Avenue Elementary School held their annual Halloween carnival last week, and it was fun for everyone, not just the students. It was held on October 24, 2019, a Thursday, from 4:30-7:30, and many people attended, not just the school’s students.
The first aspect of the carnival is the food. The Korean Mother’s Group associated with the elementary school, came together to prepare a barbeque plate for the price of $13. The meal could be pre-ordered or bought at the spot, and consisted of LA galbi, rice, japchae, dumplings, salad, and kimchi. In addition to the barbeque plate, which was the main attraction, there was also a pizza plate for people who were not as experienced with Korean food. The pizza plate came with pizza and chicken. Not only that, but they also provided boba with flavors like iced coffee and orange sickle for $5 each.
Along with the amazing food, there were also many types of entertainment; bouncy houses, costume contests, basketball, and a cake walk. There were many game stations on the upper field of the school like tic tac toe, ring toss, and many different games with balls and other objects. Participants of the game who won would receive a small prize and others that lost would not be rewarded anything, but could keep trying again and again. A sixth grade student, currently attending Mountain Avenue Elementary School, Christina Park said, “I thought that the different game stations were very fun and interactive and the prizes were very rewarding.” To play these games, you had to buy a wristband, with proceeds helping the school. Another great part of the games was that students from the local middle school, Rosemont Middle School, were helping run each game. These middle school students came from organizations called CJSF (California Junior Scholarship Federation) and Builders Club. These clubs allow students to get involved in community events and get service hours for their volunteering.
About halfway through the carnival, a costume contest was held. Anybody could participate in this activity, and many young children did. There were multiple winners, with my favorite being a Marshmallow costume, which won for being the most original.
Last but not least, there was a cake walk. Before the day of the carnival, many students and their families decorated cakes that would be given away to the winners of the cakewalk. There were many different designs such as witches, pumpkins, and ghosts. There was a very unique way that the cake walk worked at the Halloween Carnival. First, everyone who wanted to play would get in a circle that had numbers in every spot. Next, they would walk in that circle until a whistle was blown and everyone had to stop. When this happened, a number would be drawn from a bucket and the person standing on that specific number would be able to take a cake of their choice. It was a lot of fun and all of the cakes were delicious.
These days, even at local elementary schools, there are exciting activities like this Halloween Carnival. Visiting events like this is not only fun, but an enjoyable way to experience what is going on in your neighborhood.
Rosalia Park, Grade 9
Crescenta Valley High School
