Azalea Festival Carnival Expected to Draw Large Crowds

This year's carnival at will open its doors on Thursday. Rides, music, food and various other family-oriented activities will be offered to the public until Sunday. Park officials are confident that this year's carnival will be a success, and will get off to a good start — if the weather cooperates.

“We expect a lot of people on Thursday,” said Steven Costley, recreation superintendent for the city of South Gate. “If Mother Nature holds up, there will be a couple of thousand people that go through the carnival.”

Thursday is expected to be particularly popular because of a discount price that is planned on every ride.

“We will do a community night on Thursday, which means that all rides will be one dollar,” said Ted Holcomb, event organizer for Fiesta de Carnival, the company organizing the event.

Prices for rides from Friday to Sunday will range from $2 to $5.

Discounts are not the only way that organizers are hoping to entice visitors. The decision to include more rides than last year is also expected to draw crowds.

“We are upgrading the show this year,” said Holcomb. “We are bringing more rides this year.”

Organizers will be bringing 20 instead of 15 mechanical rides to the carnival. Some of the rides will include a Ferris wheel, the Zipper and the Drop Tower.

The more visitors attend the carnival, the better this will be financially for the city. A percentage of the revenues will go to South Gate if it exceeds a guaranteed amount.

“We are guaranteed 12,500 [dollars], but we can also get a percentage of the revenue,” said Costley. “Whichever is higher, we get.”

The money received will go into the city’s general fund to help pay for some festival-related charges.

“It helps with some of the costs of the , which takes place this week,” said Costley.

The festival will kick off Thursday at 5 p.m. at the South Gate Park quad. For more specific times and activities, check the  

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