How much does an employee appreciation carnival cost?

For about 150 guests, $4,500 to $8,500. For 300 to 500 guests, $8,500 to $18,000. For 500 to 2,000 guests, $18,000 to $40,000 or more. Guest count, hours, and the number of booths and attractions move the price the most.

December gives you the holiday look and Santa, but it competes with every other company party, school festival, and tree lighting for the same weekends. A January date sits outside that rush, so more dates are open and it reads as a thank-you for the year rather than one more holiday party.

Can we hold it in our parking lot or on our campus?

Yes, if the space is flat and clear of traffic. A parking lot or campus lawn works well because employees already know how to get there. Share the space and where power is available, and The Carnival Fun Experts will lay out the booths to fit. A public park usually needs the city's park-use permit, which the company applies for.

How do we include employees on different shifts?

Run a longer window, such as 11:00 to 4:00, so people on each shift can come before or after work. Size the booth count off the busiest hour, not the full headcount, since people arrive and leave in waves.

Can it carry our company colors?

Yes, through custom décor. The Carnival Fun Experts can build balloon décor and signage in your colors on request; it is quoted separately from the standard look.

🏢 SEASONAL GUIDE · ORANGE COUNTY, RIVERSIDE & SAN BERNARDINO

How to plan a year-end employee appreciation carnival.

An employee appreciation carnival is a daytime company event with game booths, concessions, and entertainers, where employees bring their families. Companies hold them in December or January to thank staff for the year. This guide is for the HR lead, office manager, or culture team planning one. It covers what goes in, sizing, timing, and cost.

Why a daytime family event

An evening holiday party is built for adults. A daytime carnival lets employees bring their kids, so people with young families can come without finding a babysitter. It also keeps the program short. Leadership can say a few words at the start, and then families spread out across the games, the food, and the photo spot on their own.

What goes into one

Start with game booths and prizes, since those are what kids run between. Add an inflatable or two for younger kids, and face painters, balloon artists, or caricature artists for the line-ups that form near the entrance. The concession row runs on churros, pretzels, popcorn, cotton candy, nachos, snow cones, and caramel apples; lunch and drinks come from the company's caterer or a food truck. A DJ or sound system keeps the energy up, and a photographer can catch teams and families for the year-end newsletter. In December, Santa and Mrs. Claus can hold a photo station of their own.

How many booths for your headcount

Plan one game booth per fifty guests on site at the same time. A 150-person office with families invited runs on three or four booths. A 400-person company whose people come and go over five hours might peak at 250, which five booths cover. For 1,000 or more, add a second concession row so the lines stay short, and spread the attractions out so the crowd doesn't bunch at the entrance.

December or January

A December date gets the red-and-white and green-and-white booths, the candy-cane balloon arch, and Santa. It also lands in the busiest booking stretch of the year: company parties book ten to fourteen weeks ahead, so a December family day should be locked by early October. A January date has more open weekends and works as a thank-you for the year instead of one more holiday event. The booths, games, and concessions are the same either way.

What the company covers

The Carnival Fun Experts brings the booths, games, prizes, inflatables, concession machines and supplies, entertainers, and the attendants who run it all. The company covers the space, tables and chairs, any tents beyond the booths, lunch and drinks, and a park permit if the event is off-site. If the site has no power the booths can reach, The Carnival Fun Experts brings generators for its own equipment, quoted at booking.

What it costs

For about 150 guests, plan on $4,500 to $8,500. A company of 300 to 500 runs $8,500 to $18,000, and 500 to 2,000 runs $18,000 to $40,000 or more. A 50% deposit holds the date, and quotes come back within about a day.

Planning a year-end employee event?

Send your date, location, and headcount and The Carnival Fun Experts will size the booths, attractions, and concessions for it, anywhere in Orange County, Riverside & San Bernardino.

See company family day rentals →

Common questions

How much does an employee appreciation carnival cost?: For about 150 guests, $4,500 to $8,500. For 300 to 500 guests, $8,500 to $18,000. For 500 to 2,000 guests, $18,000 to $40,000 or more. Guest count, hours, and the number of booths and attractions move the price the most.
December or January?: December gives you the holiday look and Santa, but it competes with every other company party, school festival, and tree lighting for the same weekends. A January date sits outside that rush, so more dates are open and it reads as a thank-you for the year rather than one more holiday party.
Can we hold it in our parking lot or on our campus?: Yes, if the space is flat and clear of traffic. A parking lot or campus lawn works well because employees already know how to get there. Share the space and where power is available, and The Carnival Fun Experts will lay out the booths to fit. A public park usually needs the city's park-use permit, which the company applies for.
How do we include employees on different shifts?: Run a longer window, such as 11:00 to 4:00, so people on each shift can come before or after work. Size the booth count off the busiest hour, not the full headcount, since people arrive and leave in waves.
Can it carry our company colors?: Yes, through custom décor. The Carnival Fun Experts can build balloon décor and signage in your colors on request; it is quoted separately from the standard look.