The start of the school year can mean getting up early after sleeping in all summer, scrambling to find pencils and making sure the dog didn’t eat the first homework assignment.

At Longview and Liberty Elementaries, it also means an opportunity to have fun as they hold their annual carnivals.

Longview’s Family Fun Night Carnival is slated for three hours, beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 14 at the school grounds.

“This is a community event for families, where everyone can come together and do something fun when sometimes, we’re all just catching up with the start of the school year,” Parent-Teacher Association president Jen Madsen said.

The carnival will feature an inflatable bounce house, inflatable water slide, a train for young children, face painting, a dunk tank and other activities and games with prizes.  There also will be food to purchase.

Students can purchase tickets or wristbands for the activities at the carnival.

“It’s just been a great, well-attended event that everyone seems to really enjoy,” Madsen said.

The Liberty Elementary carnival will be held from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25 at the school grounds.  

“This amazing carnival has been going for more than 25 years, and we hope to have it live on for many more years,” said Ashley Dunkelberger, Liberty’s PTA carnival co-coordinator with Lori Metcalf.

This year’s carnival will offer an inflatable slide and obstacle course, train rides and a dunk tank where teachers and administrators have agreed to be dunked.  There will be some carnival games and activities, such as a Coke bottle ring toss, bowling, Plinko, a fishing pond, a cake walk, a toilet paper toss and face painting.  “Brooke the Balloon Girl” will be making balloon creations and walking on stilts at the beginning of the carnival, and each hour on the hour, beginning at 5 p.m., a candy cannon will launch candy for all of the kids.

Students can use carnival punch cards to play on any of these, or they may purchase a wristband for $10 to get unlimited access all night.  Wristbands are available the week before for $8. Punch cards are available at $5 for 20 punches, and all games are two punches each.

There also are $4 meal vouchers for a hot dog or hamburger, chips and a drink.  Also for sale will be snow cones, bagged popcorn, cotton candy and nachos.  

Local businesses helped to supply items and prizes for the carnival, as well as the school’s silent auction that accompanies this event.  The carnival and silent auction are the school’s fundraisers.

“All profits earned go directly to programs and activities that benefit our students and teachers at Liberty,” Dunkelberger said.  

This year’s silent auction will feature passes to Disneyland, as well as several themed baskets with donations from businesses and community members.

Last year, with rain during the carnival, they made $1,500 in profit but hope to double that this year, she said.  Some programs that benefit from the fundraiser include a supplemental art program, Reflections, science fair, family reading nights, Red Ribbon Week and the Christmas gift shop.

“We are so excited for this event and sincerely appreciate the plethora of dedicated people who make it possible,” Dunkelberger said.