During Labor Day weekend, Prairie Point Park was shrouded in colorful lights, the smell of deep-fried batter and popcorn, and enthusiastic carnival goers. Lines were stretched far back, nearing the exit to get tickets and wristbands, and when many reached the ticket counter, they were floored by the prices they faced.
“My boyfriend spent $70 on both our tickets,” said Samia Britt, an attendee of the carnival. “It’s fun but I feel bad for him since it’s so expensive.”
“It’s almost the same price as Six Flags, I’d rather spend my money on them than the carnival,” replied senior Matthew Dodson.
The tickets cost $1 each, and the unlimited ride wristbands were $35 per time slot. The rides ranged from five to eight tickets per ride, and the wristbands allowed a person to ride about 7 or 8 in the granted amount of time.
Many carnival attendees were upset about the experience and felt like they got too little, which begs the question: Was the carnival worth the money consumers paid for it?
The carnival featured a variety of rides for all ages, including intense rides that draw a more mature audience. However, these thrill rides are more expensive, costing around 7-8 tickets. This leaves many people who buy tickets feeling as if they’re being overcharged. People with unlimited ride tickets don’t feel the same way, though.
The unlimited ride wristband granted access to all rides in the carnival for a set amount of time and cost the same as 35 tickets.
“With my 3 children, I paid $105 in total,” Oswego resident Eric Lopez said. “I don’t mind spending this much as long as my kids are happy.”
Asked later in the day, people who purchased the wristbands felt overcharged, but not as significantly. “It [costs] about seven tickets per ride, I think it’s a ripoff,” said senior Lucas Rangel.
When going to carnivals, many people worry about the safety of the rides, wondering if the rides were thoroughly revised and double-checked.
“The fireball cables snapped while I was at the carnival,” said senior Audrey Jomant.
Hundreds attended the carnival over Labor Day weekend, and although most people were satisfied with their experience, many felt as if they got too little for what they paid for, whether it be the price itself, or the size of the carnival. The general consensus is that the carnival has room for improvement.
howdy ho, this is matt. i am a senior at oswego high school, i like hanging out my friends, parakeets, and fortnite.
Hi Matt! You raise some good questions. I always thought this was too close to the dates of Prairiefest and not really necessary, but it does seem like a lot of students enjoy it.
I’d say any charge under 100$ is acceptable if all activities are free (but prize ones would be limited)