Carnival is kids’ dream come true … plus plenty of fun stuff for grownupsAnyone who hasn’t taken in a Luverne Music Boosters’ Winter Carnival is missing out on a classic local annual experience.It’s like the Rock County Fair Midway, Chuck E. Cheese and a hundred birthday parties all in one.With cotton candy, balloons, face painting and a gym full of carnival games, it’s like a kid’s dream come true … for kids of all ages.There’s a ball/balloon pool for toddlers, Hot Wheels car races for grade-schoolers, a putting green and free-throw shooting for the big kids and plenty of other various games in between.The grownups say they’re there because of their kids, but who are they fooling?The bingo tables are always filled with grownups, and it’s the grownups whose names are called for the raffle winnings.The grownups bring little armies of kids with them on the cake walk to stack their odds, but we all know the kids aren’t that interested in winning cakes.I know I speak for a few adults, though, when I say it’s a good thing the event rolls around only once a year. After nearly three hours of Carnival madness Saturday night, I was more than ready to call it a night.Carson, who’s 4 now and much too old to be throwing temper tantrums, threw a temper tantrum when it was time to go home.He believed the cake walk could also serve as a dance floor, and as long as they were playing music, the party wasn’t over.I had no idea the gym was so long between the stage and main doors. It seemed like miles as people stared at me and my screaming preschooler. "I don’t want to go home!" he kept repeating.I left tired that night from the overstimulation of loud noises, big crowds … and, of course, from the tantrum.But driving home, it occurred to me I was probably nowhere near as tired as the students and parents who set up and ran the mammoth event … and who now had to clean it up.To pull off an event of the caliber of Winter Carnival no doubt takes dedication, organization and untold hours of hard work.Thanks to all of these volunteers for a fun night out and thanks to all who showed up to support the music program in Luverne schools.See the Variety Page on 1B of this week’s Star Herald for photographs and information about the night.