Patton Spring Carnival is back — one of the district’s best traditions
📆 Friday, May 1 | 3:00–7:30 p.m. | 📍 Charles F. Patton Middle School | Rain 🌧️ or Shine ☀️
All photos courtesy of Viv Fresco Creations
Keep scrolling for a fun pic of our superintendent, Dr. Hoffman, being a great sport! 💦
Buy your punch cards and raffle tickets. 🎟️ The Patton Spring Carnival runs from 3:00 to 7:30 p.m. this Friday, May 1. Whether your child is heading into elementary school or wrapping up eighth grade, there’s something for the whole family.
The Carnival’s been running for nearly 50 years! It’s the signature fundraiser for the Patton PTO; so kind of a BFD. This is no hastily assembled bake sale. 🧁 Nothing against a delectable bake sale, but the planning team has upped the ante for this event every year. Even back in 1980, the newspaper article below noted the Carnival’s annual expansion to provide the community with “wholesome fun and fellowship.”
💭 Remember when the world felt wholesome? The good ol’ days…
Games and activities
The Patton Spring Carnival is a full-scale event with inflatables, carnival games, community vendors, a popular candy walk, face painting, henna, and more. Snacks from some familiar local names, including Rita’s, Landhope, Dough Sweet, and KJ Foods (bringing funnel cakes, naturally), will be on-site for the event as well.
A punch card system keeps things simple: cards cost $10 each and include 10 punches. A buck a punch. 💵 Most games run one to two punches, while food is between one and six punches. Patton PTO recommends starting with one or two punch cards per child and grabbing a third if your kids want to work through the whole lineup.
Patton Spring Carnival raffle is a serious affair
The raffle is its own event within the event, and the prizes are no joke. Tickets are sold separately from punch cards (the Carnival accepts cash, card, or tap for raffle tickets). Middle schoolers are discerning cats, so the PTO puts real thought into the prizes. They know the young teens won’t swoon over sticky hands and bouncy balls. Among others, this year’s prizes include a PlayStation 5, Needoo toys, a Dyson Airwrap, Apple AirPods, and more. Raffle tickets are worth it!
More than just a fun afternoon, the Patton Spring Carnival is a district-wide gathering sparking pride in all who plan and participate. Middle schoolers head straight to the event after school, and elementary school families from across the district join them. Most importantly, the Carnival only comes together with help from over 100 high school volunteers. The Patton PTO planning group builds the event infrastructure, but the high school students bring genuine energy to it.
High school volunteers run the games, manage the activities, and set the tone. Many student groups from the high school bring their own programming, including a treasure hunt and a slime-and-squishy workshop this year. For eighth graders heading to the high school next year, it’s also a chance to see what clubs and organizations they might want to join when they graduate to the last chapter of their Unionville-Chadds Ford experience.
PTO members highlighted that the Carnival gives middle schoolers an opportunity for safe independence that feels real without actually being unsupervised. Kids can wander with their friends, try things on their own, and generally feel they’re not being watched (even though parents and teachers are very much present).
Funds raised go directly back to the school community. The Patton PTO uses carnival proceeds to support field trips, teacher grants, and this year, a portion will go toward covering negative student lunch balances — a growing need across the district that the PTO is stepping up to help address.
Entry to the carnival is free. Punch cards and raffle tickets are purchased on-site or in advance online. Get your Carnival punch cards here. The event takes place rain or shine (indoors if rain is an issue).
If you’ve been before, I’d love to hear about your experience!
