Santa photos in Fontana.

Lining up for Santa in Fontana.

The set holds Santa in a sleigh seat with Mrs. Claus beside him, the balloon arch rising behind, and a sign and harlequin backdrop filling the frame. Families queue in single file, and each party steps forward when the one ahead finishes. Parents can use their own phones, and a host who wants every group photographed by one person can add the photographer The Carnival Fun Experts offers.

The queue is easier to wait in when it has neighbors. Striped booths with simple games give the children in line something to try, and the snack booths sell nachos, caramel apples, popcorn, snow cones, pretzels, churros and cotton candy. At a place like the Don Day Neighborhood Center or the Cypress Neighborhood Center, the host asks the city what space and dates are open. A school can run the line along a walkway, and a church can use its own lot. The station needs only the arch, the seat and a lane, so the rest of the layout can be as small as three booths. Older children can try a game while a parent holds the place in line, and the host can steer latecomers toward the snack cluster until the queue shortens. The arch stands over the line and marks where the photos happen. When the event also has an inflatable, the station sits apart from it so the pictures stay clear.