Christmas carnivals in San Gabriel.
A Christmas carnival is a carnival that has taken on the holiday as its theme and become the event itself: red-and-white and green-and-white striped booths, warm string lights, candy-cane signs on the games, prizes, a concession row and a Santa photo station. Christmas carnivals in San Gabriel can fill a park, a school yard or a church lot, and Carnival Fun Experts brings every part of the midway to the host's date.
San Gabriel hosts can look at Vincent Lugo Park, Smith Park, Plaza Park, Marshall Park and Roosevelt Park, along with campuses in San Gabriel Unified School District and church lots. Each site has an office that grants dates, and that call comes before any invitations go out.
The midway, the lighting, the prizes, the food booths and both Clauses arrive with Carnival Fun Experts. Guests, a date and the site office's approval come from the host.
A Christmas carnival from the arch to Santa in San Gabriel.
The entrance is a holiday balloon arch trimmed with candy canes, peppermint balloons and gingerbread figures. Beyond it the midway opens: booths in red-and-white and green-and-white stripes, each with a candy-cane game sign and a shelf of prizes, and warm string lights running overhead from booth to booth. In the evening the lights take over from the sun, and the row glows the way it does in the photos.
Along the way the concession booths serve churros, pretzels, popcorn, cotton candy, nachos, snow cones and caramel apples. Santa and Mrs. Claus sit at the photo-op station at the far end, and the walk-in snow globe inflatable offers another photo spot, with nothing falling inside it. Snow-flocked trim on the props adds a static finish. A park with five named sites to choose among gives a host room to match the layout to the ground, whether that is a loop on a lawn or a row along a school fence.
What's typically included.
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Striped holiday booths.
Booths in two stripe colors and two sizes, 10x10 and 5x5, each lit by warm string lights and labeled with candy-cane signs.
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Games with prizes.
Traditional booth games, large games like balloon dart and hoop shot, and lawn games, each with prizes.
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Entrance arch.
Candy canes, peppermint and gingerbread on a balloon arch that welcomes guests and frames pictures.
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Seven concessions.
Churros and pretzels, popcorn and cotton candy, nachos, snow cones and caramel apples.
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Snow globe and flocked trim.
A walk-in snow globe inflatable for photos and static snow-flocked trim on props.
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Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Provided by Carnival Fun Experts, seated at the photo-op station through the booked hours.
Typical timeline for Christmas carnivals in San Gabriel.
- 1
Ask the site
Call the city, the school office or the church and ask which December dates are open.
- 2
Plan the layout
Choose booth count, concession mix, optional inflatables and where Santa sits.
- 3
Forms
The host submits the reservation to the site. Should a permit call for paperwork, Carnival Fun Experts hands over the certificate of insurance and the rest.
- 4
Carnival day
Carnival Fun Experts builds the midway, the lights come on and the event runs for its booked window.
Specifics for San Gabriel.
- City parks: Vincent Lugo Park, Smith Park, Marshall Park and Roosevelt Park can host a carnival. The host asks the city whether space and date are free before paying a deposit.
- Plaza Park: Plaza Park can host an event too, and the host asks the city what its grounds allow for equipment and power.
- School campuses: A campus in San Gabriel Unified School District can plan a carnival before winter break once the school confirms the date and the yard.
- Church lots: A parish or congregation with a courtyard or paved lot can book a carnival, and church events are priced from about $2,000.
- Power: Carnival Fun Experts brings generators for its own lights and machines when a site's outlets fall short.
- Host's list: Seating, additional tents, heaters, beverages, meals and any other vendors sit on the host's side of the plan.
San Gabriel, CA.
ZIPs: 91775 · 91776 · 91778
Carnival Fun Experts delivers Christmas carnivals throughout San Gabriel and the surrounding Los Angeles County area. Pin shows the city center; we cover every ZIP listed above.
Common questions.
What does a San Gabriel carnival cost?
Plan on roughly $4,000 to $10,000 for a neighborhood or HOA carnival, $10,000 to $25,000 for a company party and $25,000 to $40,000 or more for a multi-department event. A church event starts near $2,000, and $1,500 is the floor for the smallest custom event.
Is Santa included in a San Gabriel carnival?
Yes. Santa and Mrs. Claus come with the event. For pictures, families hold their own phones, and a host who wants a single camera can book the photographer Carnival Fun Experts offers.
Can a school hold one before break?
Yes. A school can plan a carnival in the weeks before winter break, with the school confirming the date and the space.
Can we pair the carnival with a tree lighting?
Yes. The tree and the lighting ceremony belong to the host, and the booths can stay open around the ceremony.
What goes inside the snow globe?
Guests do. The globe is an inflatable that people walk into for photos, and no snow falls in it.
Who provides heat after sunset?
That falls to the host or the venue, since Carnival Fun Experts brings no heating. Any tent beyond our booths is also the host's to supply.
About this guide.
This local guide to christmas carnivals in San Gabriel was compiled by Carnival Fun Experts, a carnival event production company serving Los Angeles County. Carnival Fun Experts produces winter festivals, school carnivals, backyard birthdays, and community events across the San Gabriel Valley and the wider county.
Helpful local references: City of San Gabriel Parks & Recreation · San Gabriel Unified School District
Christmas Carnivals in nearby cities.
Thinking about a Christmas carnival for San Gabriel?
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