Gilberts Community Days draws families

Gilberts Community Days drew people from beyond the small town for carnival rides, food and live entertainment throughout the 4-day event that wrapped up Sunday.

Diane Hinkemeyer brought her 8- and 5-year-old daughters from Crystal Lake to enjoy the festival Sunday. They arrived at noon to make the most use out of the unlimited-ride wristbands and stayed for the entire afternoon. With blue skies and a hot sun, the Hinkemeyers loved the summer entertainment.

“I don’t like winter so this was a great day to get out,” Hinkemeyer said.

Eight game booths and 11 carnival rides lined Town Square Park on Rollyn Anderson Lane. A mini petting zoo drew the younger crowd with the chance to touch goats, mini horses, pigs, rabbits, ducklings and chicks — by far the Hinkemeyer favorite.

Lilly Danca, 6, couldn’t pick a favorite, pointing to all of the carnival rides. She and her brother Andy, 4, of Gilberts, walked through the carnival with their mom, Karen, and grandmother.

“There’s a lot more here than last year,” Karen Danca said. “This year there’s a magician, more food and more variety.”

Plenty of children gathered for the magician as their unlimited ride passes expired. On Friday and Saturday, adults and older kids found their own entertainment in the live bands that played throughout the evenings.

“It was just wonderful,” said Gilberts Trustee Nancy Farrell. “It was a real family event.”

Farrell said the partnership between the planning committee, public works, the police department and the Citizen Emergency Response Team really made the event a success.

This is the first year the carnival set up in Town Square Park and the first time they had many rides and vendors, but Farrell said the village will look forward to similar events in future years.