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
