“Hey kids, want to go to a carnival?”
The answer was quick and decisive.
“Woo-HOO!!! YES!”
Our Friday night was an adventurous one. I loaded up the car with my two daughters and three of their friends and headed to the fall carnival at Hamilton Town Center mall in Noblesville. We had such a great time!
The Burton Brothers Amusements carnival is going on every day at the mall through next September 30, when the Hamilton Harvest Fest takes place from 3-8 p.m. (No cost to enter, you just pay for ride tickets, food or merchandise.) What we experienced was just a little preview of next weekend’s event.
They’ll have a LOT more going on at the Hamilton Harvest Fest including:
- Live music (The Flying Toasters and the Blue River Band)
- A professional pumpkin artist carving up some giant jack-o-lantern art
- A Kid Zone with face painting and cupcake decorating
- Food trucks
- An Indiana marketplace
- Beer from local breweries
- Carnival rides
Here were a few of our highlights:
My daughter Daisy is a thrill-seeker, and loved this more than any other ride. Her friend, Maggie, had never been on a Ferris Wheel before, and was pretty nervous getting on. But as we rose to the top, she let out a squeal and her jaw dropped looking at the view. “This IS SO FUN!!!!!” she yelled.
Clara and her friends were brave enough to get on some of the wilder rides, and I watched them spin in circles high up in the air. 
A sweet carnival worker at that ride named Dede serenaded Clara, who used this occasion as an early 12th birthday celebration. “Happy birthday, dear Clara,” he crooned like a pop star from a boy band, “Happy birthday, to you…”
Even the smaller rides were super exciting to the little ones, and the big girls went back for repeat rounds on the larger ones.
As we departed, I asked Daisy for her “review” of the carnival.
“It was AWESOME.”
The Burton Brothers Amusements carnival runs September 22-September 30. The full Hamilton Harvest Festival takes place September 30 from 3p.m.-8p.m. at Hamilton Town Center.
