Chants Amusements’ Lakes Entrance Family Carnival opens along the foreshore this Saturday for the sixth time.
The carnival, which is open from 6pm until late, finishing on Australia Day, is holding a fundraiser on Sunday with the proceeds of armband sales going towards Lakes Entrance Events to assist with financing this year’s new Year’s Eve Fireworks Festival.
“We have always raised a fair bit of money to keep that going. Basically I donate all my staff, rides, generator fuel and the expense,” Melbourne based owner, Les Chant, told the Post on Monday.
“Whatever money we earn goes towards the fireworks. It pretty much pays for the fireworks and the other group raise money for all of the other entertainment that night.”
Les loves coming to Lakes Entrance and said there is something for everyone at the carnival.
“It’s great. It’s like our second home,” he said.
“There are plenty of attractions. The rollercoaster is back for the second year, we have got the freestyle motorbike riders and a ferris wheel for the elderly and more faint of heart.
“Favourites such as the dodgem cars, little kids’ rides and jumping castle are all back. There are Dora, Looney Tunes and Sesame Street licensed themed games and the traditional laughing clowns.
“It’s the biggest carnival on the coast, the biggest carnival in Australia without a doubt.”
The carnival not only supports Lakes Entrance in attracting visitors and keeping them here, it also injects funds into the community to further enhance its attractiveness to tourists.
“I think every year the tourism is growing and getting bigger,” Les said.
“That was the whole plan of the carnival coming here. To build the tourism here and make them stay longer rather than going down the road was the plan.
“Instead of staying a couple of days they stay a week. It’s better for everyone in the town.
“The carnival has been growing each year and the tourism numbers are growing, which we keep a close eye on. We are getting a lot more hits on our Facebook page and likes and shares.”
While some adverse weather halted carnival set up, everything is going according to plan.
“It takes a lot of manpower to set the carnival up. We have been here for a week now,” Les said.
“The ferris wheel is getting set up tomorrow. The rain knocked us around a bit so we had to stop a few times.”
