Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival, Now 50 Years Old, Coming Saturday, Oct 17

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Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival
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Celebrating 50 Years of Fall Family Fun, Darien’s Tokeneke School Pumpkin Carnival Returns Saturday, Oct. 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rain Date: Sunday, Oct. 18.

For 50 years, the Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival at Tokeneke School in Darien has been a fall-favorite activity for Fairfield County families, offering something spooky and fun for children both big and small.

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An announcement (slightly edited here) from the Tokeneke Parent Teacher Organization website

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For 50 years, the Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival at Tokeneke School in Darien has been a fall-favorite activity for Fairfield County families, offering something spooky and fun for children both big and small. To honor its half-century birthday, the 2015 Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival will be a celebration of traditions like old-fashioned fair games and new experiences, including all-new rides and food options.

Originally called “Big Pumpkin”, the Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival is one of Darien’s most cherished traditions. Every October for the past five decades, the Pumpkin Carnival has transformed the Tokeneke Elementary School, located on Old Farm Road in Darien, into a Halloween-themed haunted house and amusement park with delicious food, numerous games plus a wide variety of mechanical rides.

Screen Shot 2015-10-04 at 2.53.35 PMThis year, the 2015 Pumpkin Carnival is scheduled to take place on Saturday, Oct. 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The rain date for the event will be on the following day (Oct. 18).

The 2015 Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival features rides and attractions suitable for a wide variety of ages, including the brand-new Rock Star ride.

For those seeking a thrill, make sure to try the Tornado, the Cliffhanger and Zero Gravity. Pre-schoolers are sure to love the Dinos, Super Trucks and Dizzy Dragons.

In addition, the haunted house, a 50-year tradition of the carnival, is not to be missed! Plenty of old-fashioned games and activities will also be available, including Pumpkin Plinko, Ghoulie Goalie and the Apple Launcher with tickets redeemable at the famed prize table.

This year, carnival attendees will be able to enjoy exciting new food options like Meatball & Co. as well as a new gluten-free pizza option from long-term supporter Heights Pizza. Other local Darien restaurants, such as Burgers Shakes & Fries and UCBC will be on hand to keep attendees fueled up for fun. Whole Foods will be serving coffee in the morning and a Newman’s Own lemonade stand will serve refreshments throughout the day.

The funds raised at the Pumpkin Carnival provide critical funding for the Enrichment Program at the Tokeneke Elementary School.  Over the years, the Enrichment Program has helped bring inspirational and unexpected guests in the arts and sciences into the classroom for personal discussion and instruction with students.

“We are thrilled to be celebrating 50 years of fall family fun at the 2015 Tokeneke Pumpkin Carnival. It’s the support of the Tokeneke and Darien communities that makes the Pumpkin Carnival such a success year after year,” said Sara Goertel, a Tokeneke parent and Co-Chair of this year’s event along with fellow Tokeneke parents and Co-Chairs Lori Slotkin and Kim Sullivan. “Please make sure to join us for one of Darien’s favorite fall traditions and get a head start on the Halloween spirit!”

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Tokeneke School

Tokeneke School is one of five elementary schools in Darien. Located on Old Farm Road, Tokeneke serves approximately 500 students from pre-school through fifth grade. The principal is Mary C. Michelson.

Organizers and supporters

The Tokeneke Parent Teacher Organization (TPTO) is responsible for organizing the Pumpkin Carnival.  Local businesses are the key supporters of the event. For the fifth year in a row, the Darien Sports Shop will be this year’s title sponsor. Some of the other sponsors are: East Coast Irrigation; Newman’s Own; Darien Rowayton Bank; The Darien News; Heights Pizza; Speed Printing & Graphics (SP&G); Stew Leonard’s, Fox Hill Builders; Dr. David Osherow, D.D.S.; Deane, Inc.; Burger, Shakes and Fries; Meatball & Co.; Kempo Academy plus many others.

 

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