Published: May 14, 2008 07:25 am      

Carnival in town

It’s time again for funnel cakes and Ferris wheels.

The Pride of Texas Carnival is back in town.

Sponsored by the 101 Classic Bowl Foundation, the carnival begins this evening and will last through Sunday.

“It’s one of the best carnivals in the southwest,” said Dan Ridenhour, with K101.

One of the things that makes it so great, he said, is the fact that there is something for the kid in everyone.

“You won’t find more rides,” Ridenhour said.

In fact, carnival spokesman Johnny Cayer said that this year “we have more rides than ever before.”

Despite the ongoing construction at Crystal Beach Park, where the carnival is held, Cayer said the carnival was even able to introduce new rides this year.

These new rides are the Quad Runner, Balloon Ferris Wheel and the Red Baron, which features airplanes that riders can manipulate themselves to go up and down, he said.

In addition to the rides, there will also be plenty of games and carnival food from corn dogs to funnel cakes, Cayer said.

The carnival will begin at 6 p.m. each evening and will last until 10 p.m. on weeknights and 11 p.m. on the weekend.

Tickets for rides are $1 each or you can purchase a wristband for $20, which will let you ride as many rides as you want throughout the evening.

“Proceeds go to benefit the Classic Bowl,” Ridenhour said, noting that the Classic Bowl is “a celebration of the tri-state’s brightest and best.”

The 101 Classic Bowl Foundation uses the proceeds to help keep the Classic Bowl free to the participating students, Ridenhour said. They also use the money to fund scholarships for the students, he said, noting that so far the foundation has awarded approximately $80,000 in scholarships over the past 20 years.

But beyond being a great way to help support area students, Ridenhour pointed out that the carnival is “a good way to kick off summer.”