Christmas carnivals in El Monte.
A Christmas carnival is the holiday itself turned into a carnival: striped booths in red-and-white and green-and-white, warm string lights over the lane, candy-cane game skins, a balloon arch at the gate, concessions, and a Santa and Mrs. Claus photo station. Anyone planning Christmas carnivals in El Monte starts with the ground, because the midway takes the shape of a school blacktop, a church lot or a city park.
El Monte has five parks to ask the city about: Tony Arceo Memorial Park, Fletcher Park, Mt. View Park, Lambert Park and Gibson Mariposa Park. School events belong to the El Monte City School District, the El Monte Union High School District or the Mountain View School District, depending on the campus.
Carnival Fun Experts contributes the booths, the games and prizes, the arch, the concession booths and Santa and Mrs. Claus, sized to the site the host confirms.
Putting a Christmas midway on El Monte ground.
Planning starts with a measurement, not a theme. A host walks the site, notes where cars park and where people enter, and decides how much room the midway gets. A balloon arch of candy canes, peppermint balloons and gingerbread figures goes at the entry. Striped booths then follow the available space, curving around a park path, running in two rows on a blacktop or turning a corner on a church lot. Each game, from ring toss to bottle ring to milk can toss, wears candy-cane skins and hands out prizes, and string lights tie the lane together.
Food goes where a line can form without blocking the games: concession booths for nachos, snow cones, churros, popcorn, cotton candy, pretzels and caramel apples. The Santa and Mrs. Claus station gets its own queue room, with phones for families or the photographer Carnival Fun Experts offers for hosts who want one. A walk-in snow globe inflatable is a photo prop that holds nothing falling inside, and snow-flocked trim finishes the props. Seating, drinks, meals, extra tents and heating are the host's to arrange.
What's typically included.
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Striped booths.
Red-and-white and green-and-white 10x10 booths dressed for the season, lit by warm string lights.
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Games with prizes.
Ring toss, bottle ring, milk can toss and other carnival games in candy-cane skins, each with prizes to win.
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Balloon arch.
A holiday arch with candy canes, peppermint balloons and gingerbread figures, standing at the entry or behind Santa.
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Concession booths.
The menu has seven items, including nachos, churros and caramel apples alongside snow cones, popcorn, pretzels and cotton candy.
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Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Both come from Carnival Fun Experts and sit at the photo-op station while guests choose between phones and a hired photographer.
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Snow globe and flocked props.
A walk-in snow globe inflatable for photos and a snow-flocked finish on the trim and props.
Typical timeline for Christmas carnivals in El Monte.
- 1
Walk the site.
Choose a park, school or church site and have the city, district or church confirm the date and the space.
- 2
Count the booths.
Fit the number of booths and concession stands to the guest list and the ground.
- 3
Reserve the date.
The 50% deposit reserves it, and Carnival Fun Experts provides the certificate of insurance or the paperwork a permit asks for.
- 4
Open the midway.
Carnival Fun Experts builds it, staffs its games and concessions and seats Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Specifics for El Monte.
- Tony Arceo Memorial Park and Fletcher Park. City parks that can host a Christmas carnival once the city confirms dates, space and any permit.
- Mt. View Park, Lambert Park and Gibson Mariposa Park. Three more public parks to ask about, each with its own rules for vendors, power and dates.
- Three school districts. El Monte City School District, El Monte Union High School District and Mountain View School District each approve events on their own campuses.
- Church lots and halls. A church with a lot can host a carnival, and church events start from about $2,000.
- Cost bands. Neighborhood carnivals run $4,000 to $10,000, company parties $10,000 to $25,000, and large multi-department events $25,000 to $40,000 or more. The smallest custom event starts near $1,500.
El Monte, CA.
ZIPs: 91731 · 91732 · 91734 · 91735
Carnival Fun Experts delivers Christmas carnivals throughout El Monte and the surrounding Los Angeles County area. Pin shows the city center; we cover every ZIP listed above.
Common questions.
Which El Monte parks could host a Christmas carnival?
Tony Arceo Memorial Park, Fletcher Park, Mt. View Park, Lambert Park and Gibson Mariposa Park are the city's parks in this guide. The city confirms the date and the space for each.
Which school district approves a campus carnival?
The district that runs the campus, which could be El Monte City, El Monte Union High or Mountain View. The school checks with its own district.
Does a tree lighting need to be part of the carnival?
No. A host who runs a tree lighting brings the tree and the ceremony, and the carnival can run next to it.
What about power at a park?
Carnival Fun Experts runs generators for its own equipment where the site cannot provide enough power.
Do guests pay?
That is up to the host. The host sells and collects tickets or runs the carnival free.
What does the host need to cover?
Tables and chairs, drinks, meals, extra tents, heating, permits and other vendors.
About this guide.
This local guide to Christmas carnivals in El Monte was compiled by Carnival Fun Experts, a Southern California carnival event production company and a division of My Little Carnival.
Helpful local references: City of El Monte Parks, Recreation and Community Services · El Monte City School District
Christmas Carnivals in nearby cities.
Choose a date for an El Monte Christmas carnival.
Tell Carnival Fun Experts the site, the day and a guest estimate. Custom events can begin near $1,500.
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