The elementary entrance is bustling with people as kids run to each carnival game, showing off their Halloween costumes. 

The Wall Elementary PTO hosted the annual Wall-O-Ween Carnival on Saturday, October 9 to raise money to support school funds. The event welcomed families of the Wall community for games, silent auction, raffle and a meal. 

“The Wall Elementary PTO brings together sponsors, volunteers, parents, and local businesses to create one of the largest community events in our area,” PTO President Linsey Daniel said. “It is special to this community because it brings everyone together to create a magical moment for our children, and helps support our school.”

The event keeps tradition alive by including favorite carnival games year after year. 

“My favorite game was the ring toss because I won two Orange Fantas,” fourth-grader Audrey Block said. “I’ve gone to the carnival since I moved to Wall, and I always love winning lots of candy and winning big prizes.”

The carnival games usually reward each participant with candy, whether they win or lose. However, some games have even bigger prizes at stake. 

“I really liked the cake walk because you could only win cake instead of candy, so I wanted to win a lot of cake,” fourth-grader Drew Ashlock said. 

Beyond providing games to entertain elementary students, the Wall PTO puts in a large effort to bring all aspects of the event together every year. 

“There are so many moving parts to this event that take several months of planning, so we begin prepping for the Wall-O-Ween Carnival in July,” Daniel said. “We break the event down and form committees for each area — such as games committee, raffle ticket committee and silent auction committee — which helps in our planning process.”

According to Daniel, more than 1,000 people attended this year’s Wall-O-Ween Carnival, its biggest attendance yet.

“We hope that this event is a memory that children and families can have for their lifetime,” Daniel said.  “It’s important, at this age, to create experiences that enhance families, our community and our kid’s lives.”