For the past 10 years, kiddos in Callaway have enjoyed a fun day right before Halloween designed exclusively for them. The Fall Kids Carnival was held this past Saturday, and host couple Mike and Erin Reiff say this will be their final year at the helm.

The Reiffs moved to Callaway from Ogallala in the summer of 2012, and the following year they decided to incorporate an event into the small town that they had been a part of in their Ogallala church. “A lot of what we did with this was based on ideas from that one,” Mike explained. “There really wasn’t anything like that here so Erin and I threw it together in about a month.”

Though the Reiffs will no longer be in charge of the event doesn’t necessarily mean this is the last year for the carnival - there is a possibility that someone else will take it over.

One of the most popular activities at the carnival is the cakewalk, and Mike explained how that works. “There are numbers on the floor, we play music, and when the music stops we draw a number and whoever is standing on that number gets to choose an item from the cakewalk table. We don’t just do cakes, we have asked people to bring smaller things like cookies and cupcakes, puppy chow, and popcorn mix, so we can have more prizes,” Mike shared. “Most of the games we have are pretty simple, geared for kids in third grade or younger.”

People have donated items over the years, but generally, the donations are in the form of money which Mike and Erin use to purchase prizes for the games. “Kids need to have as many activities as they can that are good and get them out of the house, so that’s a lot of what is behind it. It’s just about providing something for the kids in the community, where there just isn’t a lot going on all the time,” Mike added.

While it is billed as a fall carnival it does include a lot of Halloween-themed activities. Kids are also encouraged to wear their costumes to the carnival, and Mike said oftentimes the adults will dress up too. He said they have a lot of volunteer help from high school and junior high students who need the hours for community service projects.

The Callaway American Legion Auxiliary has always helped out by providing treats and snacks for the attendees, and the bounce house is provided is owned by the Oconto Fire Department. The event is free, but those attending are encouraged to bring items to donate to the local food pantry.

For the Reiffs, the carnival has been a family event. Josie, a senior, handles finding the volunteers and distributing flyers; Neltje, a sophomore, helps pick out prizes and run games, as does 7th grader, Lauren.

The Fall Kids Carnival has not only provided a great bonding time for the Reiff family, but also fun for all Callaway kids.