The carnival comes to River Heights

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/05/2017 (3340 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The end of anything enjoyable can be sad, and the teardown of a carnival and midway at the Grant Park Shopping Centre still brought a few visitors hoping to join in the fun.

From May 5 to 7, the family-run Select Shows event entertained and amused the people of River Heights, leaving people wanting more.  

Ferris wheels and other rides, cotton candy and balloons are integral to carnivals in many people’s imaginations, and Select Shows did not disappoint. Throughout the weekend, people came and went as the lights blinked and the music played on the midway rides.

Select Shows carnivals have a special connection with this city, having begun in 1969 as a project of a retired Winnipeg police officer, Robert Mills, with only a few rides and some cotton candy. Now the third generation of the Mills family is involved with the show, including granddaughter Ashley.
Not only is the show family-owned, but as the website states, “All rides, games and concessions are Canadian-owned and operated!”

The company has grown to include three divisions that tour throughout central Canada, although they normally travel together. After the Grant Park show, the next stop was Garden City Shopping Centre, giving Winnipeggers another chance to enjoy the rides, food, and crowds.

This was not the first time that the carnival has come to River Heights but the show’s debut of the Trabant, a twirling, fast-paced ride, turned out to be big hit.

Throughout the time that the carnival and midway spent at Grant Park, visitors came and went but people were still coming right up to the last minute.

The loud noises and crowds might not be everyone’s choice of fun but for those who attended, it was a good chance to have fun with family and friends.

As Ashley Mills said “tell everybody (that) if they weren’t here, they missed out.”

Susan Huebert is a community correspondent for River Heights.