Only a few more days to demonstrate your skill at the many games and challenges along the midway. Thrill to rides like the Extreme (remix Orbitor), Capriolo and the KMG Booster or enjoy the classics such the carousel, spinning coaster and the wave swing. And of course there’s the sublime dodgems… drive away your frustrations and enjoy the Year of the Dog.
If you haven’t been already you’ve missed out on the unique Circus Big Top experience which includes the hire wire Gerlings, motorcycles in a cage and the space wheel…
Love is not a thing, it’s an experience. A shared experience!
The ongoing obsession with brand name things and the competitive who’s boyfriend or girlfriend buys them the most expensive flowers or gift is hardly romantic.
Ditch the pressure of the expensive restaurant, you can get the same meal or better far cheaper on a different day and do something that’ll create memories that’ll last longer than the taste of the $888 one mouthful dessert. Get out and have fun, create experiences and shared memories.
The Great European Carnival at Central Harbourfront offers the chance to share rides, enjoy the thrill and energy of the circus, play and win prizes for each other. The atmosphere of the carnival midway and the energy of all those around you having fun make it a great place to create memories.
Valentine’s Day package ($600) includes 2 Premium-seat tickets for the Great Circus of Europe, single entry to the AIA Great European Carnival on the same day and 20 e-tokens. The package is only available from 9-11 and 13-14 February 2018 at the door.
Another new bar is set open at 8 Observatory Road in Tsim Sha Tsui. Carnival from Sonrisa Concept Ltd the people behind Drunken Pot and Lai Bun Fu is set to open on the 28 February.
The 5,000 square foot venue which includes a terrace looks to make every day ‘fun’ and includes dart machines, slap cup and beer pong tables, lots of big screen TVs for live sports coverage and of course there’s a karaoke room.
There’s a range of fun carnival themed cocktails and shots. The signature Merry-Go-Round (pepper infused vodka, tomato soup, Worcester sauce, cayenne pepper and lemon juice), has eight shots served on a merry-go-round while the Ferris Wheel (Kwai feh lychee liquor, grape leaf liquor, Campari, syrup and cotton candy) has 12 shots served on a mini ferris wheel. Food is served from the Drunken Pot menu.
The Great European Carnival returns to the Central Harbourfront this winter from the 16th December 2016 – 12th February 2017. As well as games, thrilling rides the midway this year will again feature a stage with a wide range of entertainment.
The Great European Carnival Date: 16 December, 2016 – 12 February, 2017 Venue: Central Harbourfront Tickets: $125
The Great European Carnival returns to the Central Harbourfront today for a three month residency. Unlike last year’s inaugural event which took several weeks for all the rides to open, this year’s carnival is almost fully formed – courtesy of seven months of liaison with the relevant departments to get safety and fire certificates etc approved.
The midway is far more engaging this year, there’s more energy, rides and games are closer together and better distributed through the fairground. Compared to last year there are several more rides and a better mix. A couple of new rides are the log flume and the rollercoaster. For those who love to scream, last year’s favourites remain so bring something for those vocal chords! There’s a considerably smaller ice-rink, while the dodgems are still the most legal fun you can have impersonating a HK taxi/minibus driver.
This year’s food court is more compact and right next to the stage area (in the centre of the carnival) so you can sit and eat while enjoying whatever’s on the stage. Castelo Catering, the sole food concessionaire, is again offering big pans of paella ($40) curry and rice ($60), pizza ($60) kebabs ($60/$70) burgers and noodles. Portions sizes are good and while it could never be called gourmet it’s certainly edible and negates any need to bring your own food. Look out to for the English fudge shop, 3 chunks for $30. There’s a distinct lack of places to buy drinks, so on a sunny day bring some water.
Rides and games are paid for in tokens, and as last year a token costs $10. Food, drinks etc are cash only.
This year’s GEC is a noticeable improvement on last year, even the ‘grass’ is better… But a few unsolvable kinks remain. It’s gonna be busy, so enjoy the queues! The games staff are salaried so there’s no ‘barking’ and hustle as they tout for your business. It would undoubtably be complicated to institute an individual commission system but it would incentivise away the apathy and maybe energise the game staff.
The Great European Carnival returns to the Central Harbourfront this winter from the 4th December 2015 – 14th February 2016. As well as games, thrilling rides the midway this year will also feature the unique Udderbelly – a performance venue like no other.
For the next 60 days Hong Kong’s harbourfront event space hosts the ‘Great European Carnival’ and to give it’s CEO Micheal Denmark his due – it has potential. There’s plenty of games with lots of stuffed animals and toys to win, a lovely outdoor ice skating rink, a beer tent, a community stage, food (most food stands were closed on the media tour so we can’t comment on the quality of the food) and rides…
And here’s where the problems start, the rides. There are plans for between 25 and 30 rides of all shapes and styles for adults and children alike. On the media tour, none were open – not even the most basic slide. The bumper cars were quiet, the ghosts of the Haunted House under arrest for shopping in Mong Kok… A couple of interesting looking rides were being tested, but most were still awaiting construction.
I know from spending three years working on a traveling carnival in the United States that good carnies can erect or tear-down a ride pretty fast – but these are international rides and new to Hong Kong and getting them safety checked and licensed appears to be complicated. It’s good that government is ensuring the rides are safe, but when they ask “What happens when two bumper cars hit each other…”
10 rides are scheduled to be working today, opening day – but with unbuilt and un-opened rides dotting the midway, the carnival looks like what it is, a work in progress, which is a shame.
Entry costs $125 which includes 10 tokens. Games and rides use tokens – which cost $10 each. All food and beverage is cash only. There don’t appear to be any ATM’s on site. Don’t like waiting, there’s a fast track entry and ride band which costs $600.
The carnival can hold around 12,000 at any time, so at busy times, expect to queue. As I said earlier, the carnival has potential lets hope the organisers can get it fully up and running as quickly as possible, because really, there’s nothing like a day at the fair.
Great European Carnival
When: 11am – 11pm, 23 December, 2014 – 22 February, 2015 Where: New Central Harbour Front How Much: $125 More info: www.tgec.asia
