Summer Carnivals
It was the ribbon cutting ceremony that struck me most. Back in the late 1960’s a carnival was held at the Hogan home on East Genesee Street in Auburn, NY. Along with many children (including other Ringwood siblings) I stood behind that ribbon gate, toe dancing on the edge of excitement! Distinguished guest (and neighbor) Mayor Schwartz was presented with a scissors and as he cut that ribbon the neighborhood carnival was declared OPEN. It was a piece of magic! I have no other recall of the event, games, prizes, carnival sweets, who I went with or how I got there … but oh that ribbon cutting ceremony!
And so began my journey into the world of 124 Owasco Street side-yard carnivals. What fun digging up past memories and tapping into the minds of siblings and neighborhood friends. If memory is correct, Cheryl Foster and Teresa Ringwood co-chaired four carnivals - (3) supporting “Jerry’s Kids” and the Muscular Dystrophy Campaign and (1) supporting the American Heart Association.
Summer 1969 - $28.61 Summer 1970 - $53.50 Summer 1971 - unknown Summer 1972 - unknown
*Cheryl Foster reminded me that we earned over $100.00 for the last two carnivals and even earned the distinction (from Jerry) of being the highest grossing carnival in our area!!! ( More about that later!)
The KIT!
At that time, children’s television programming was quite limited … weekday early morning shows included: Captain Kangaroo, Romper Room, The Magic Toy Shop along with weekend morning cartoons. Commercials were as fascinating as the shows; sometimes even more so as they advertised such goodies as Easy-Bake-Oven and GI Joe! Along came a commercial encouraging kids to have a CARNIVAL, stating that it was an “important and noble” thing to do! After mailing off my name and address, the MD Society sent a complete information kit. I was hooked; the packet included all kinds of ideas on how to plan and organize the big event! Cheryl and I poured over the ideas in her garage on Anna Street. It was a thing in the late 60’s and early 70’s, popular in so many communities. While the Jerry Lewis Labor Day MD telethon lasted far longer, the “side-yard carnival” concept was here and then gone. But those carnivals, in many ways, defined me as a person.
This blog story is supported by information from Cheryl Foster, Connie Hickey and brothers Tom, Jack, Paul, David, Peter and Bob. A number of neighborhood kids were involved with the planning and the big day - Peggy Ganey, John and Patty Woods, Kathy Lyons, Laura Foster and I suspect a few more. The 124 Owasco Street side yard baseball field suspended play for one day to host the big event. Games and activities included: The Fish Pond, Balloon Dart Board, The Raffle Table, The White Elephant, The Concession Stand and The Spook House!
Recollections:
“I remember being asked to keep the dartboard still because it was a windy day - the first person to play the game planted the dart in my hand! I took one for the team.” -- -David Ringwood
‘In the garage there was a broken cardboard table that had a whole in the middle. I hid underneath.… bloodied head poking through the table, hidden under Dad’s top had! (Anything for a good scare!!) - Paul Ringwood
“Hmmm ...
Beautiful summer weather
The official Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Carnival package with instructions and recommendations and how to run the carnival, and badges for you and Cheryl the heads of the event
You and Cheryl Foster arriving home with prize donations from downtown
Dart board hung on the third-base tree for the balloon pop game
The fish pond … very popular with the little kids in the neighborhood
Surprised to see unfamiliar young mothers with their young children in our side yard having so much fun
Last minute preparations for the spook house upstairs in the garage. Why would any mother let their child go up there
Dozens of unsold comic books donated by Cervo News but not really a good price at the fair so we got to keep and read them all
You and Cheryl counting up the money collected and being so impressed that year you topped $100 (Am I making that up if not I'm even more amazed today)”
-Jack Ringwood
“Now that is a tough one. I don’t remember any of yours but I do remember that I had one (trying to keep the tradition going). We made about $12 and Mrs. Mosier from across the street added a dollar to make it $13. Can’t remember who the money was donated to but I’m pretty sure I got my name in the paper!!” -Peter Ringwood
“Didn't someone bring kittens as a raffle prize? I remember Patty holding some or at least there is a picture of her holding them.” -Bob Ringwood
(**Patty won a kitten in a raffle … Mom said “NO!”)
Carnival Mothers:
I always felt like Connie Hickey was a major part of the carnival events, and she was! Despite moving from the neighborhood in just 1st grade, the friendship remained with both Cheryl and Teresa and she often hung out on Anna Street. Mrs. Hickey was a sure bet for a super sheet cake! A cake correction was quickly made one carnival day after either Pete or Bob Ringwood sat on the cake by accident. Mrs. Hickey also generously drove all the carnival planners to SUBURBAN PARK where we used our “free tickets” that were awarded to us as carnival planners! She had a big station wagon. Mrs. Foster donated lots of brownies and her famous fudge and Mrs. Ringwood was always good for lemonade - best concession stand ever!
Time to Kick Things Up!
Truth be told, my most vivid carnival memories all swirl around Cheryl. She was the go-to idea person, afraid of nothing and inspired by everything. It was just so much fun to be Cheryl’s friend. In a recent conversation we talked and laughed about all the carnival fun … making plans in her garage and in her pool. I wondered if it really was an entire summer of planning or was that just my childhood memory and Cheryl assured me that we really did spend a great deal of time planning. The first two years of our carnival preparations were pretty traditional - games and food and prayers for a sunny day. Cheryl reminded me that we made and sold crepe paper flowers on a stick and I do believe that Patty Ringwood took that job over and brought those flowers to an even higher level!
It was Cheryl’s idea to kick efforts up just a bit! She thought it was time to knock on all the doors in the neighborhood with a tagline something like this ‘We are hosting a Muscular Dystrophy Carnival at 124 Owasco Street on August 27 from 12 - 2pm. If you cannot attend would you like to donate money now to support this cause?’ It worked! I can still see that cigar box (Charlie - Cheryl’s grandfather donation) filled with money. We would sit on her front porch counting out change and bills. People were generous and trusting and heavens no - we did not spend a single penny at Ruchak’s Store! It was brilliant … This went on during weekday evenings and not a door was overlooked. If they did not answer, we were sure to visit the next evening. Cheryl also felt that better prizes meant more carnival guests and more money. We made regular trips to downtown Auburn to solicit donations from the merchants. Can you image …but ask we did and our stash of goodies grew thanks to Cervos News, Hislops, Greens, Grants, Burns, Nolans and more. My carnival planning years were my middle school years … the last carnival was in support of the American Heart Association, a suggestion that was made by Mom.
There are so many layers to this carnival story; and while it served as some of my best summer entertainment and fun, in truth it did define me. The freedom to explore an idea - make plans and work through the bugs of a project - so valuable. Things take time; one cannot expect instant results! I aligned myself with good leaders and teammates like Cheryl and Connie and awesome brothers that would accept coins from the neighbor kids only to scare the pants off them in the attic garage spook house. I learned about the spirit of compassion in this Auburn community from neighbors and downtown merchants. I also learned about making things special… a crushed cake repaired, BIG pastel flowers and … yes, that scissors cutting ceremony. I think that those carnivals were a significant part of my “coming of age” transition into life. Lucky me!
-Teresa Ringwood Hoercher (July 2020)
