Christmas carnivals in Tustin.
A Christmas carnival is a carnival dressed entirely for the season: striped booths in red and green, warm string lights, candy-cane game skins, a balloon arch and a photo station with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Christmas carnivals in Tustin can serve a neighborhood association, a congregation, a school before winter break or a city program, and The Carnival Fun Experts supplies the whole production.
Tustin has a set of city-run sites that a group can ask about: Columbus Tustin Park, the Columbus Tustin Recreation Center, the Clifton C. Miller Community Center and the Tustin Family and Youth Center. Schools run through Tustin Unified School District, so a campus carnival follows the district's approval steps.
The Carnival Fun Experts builds Christmas carnivals across Orange County, Riverside County and San Bernardino County, each one quoted from the site, the date and the guest count.
The look of a Christmas carnival in Tustin.
A guest's first view is the entrance arch, a red-and-white balloon arch trimmed with candy canes, peppermint balloons and gingerbread figures. Beyond it runs a line of striped booths, red-and-white next to green-and-white, with warm string lights overhead and candy-cane signs naming each game. Ring toss, bottle ring and dime pitch are three of the games a host can choose, and prizes go to the players at each booth. The concession booths sit off to one side so a queue for popcorn does not block a game.
Santa and Mrs. Claus have a station of their own with the photo-op backdrop, and the walk-in snow globe inflatable gives families a second photo spot (nothing falls inside it). A host planning at Columbus Tustin Park asks the city whether the park can host the event and on which dates. A host at the Columbus Tustin Recreation Center or the Clifton C. Miller Community Center confirms the room, the date and the load-in window with the venue before anything is booked.
What's typically included.
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Striped holiday booths.
Red-and-white and green-and-white 10x10 booths with warm string lights strung overhead and candy-cane signage on the front.
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Games with prizes.
Carnival games in candy-cane skins, each paying out prizes, so children can move from booth to booth.
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Food from seven concessions.
The food is churros, pretzels, popcorn, cotton candy, nachos, snow cones and caramel apples, served from concession booths.
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Balloon arch.
Candy canes, peppermint and gingerbread on an entrance arch that also works as a photo frame.
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Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Both performers come from The Carnival Fun Experts, along with the photo-op station they sit in.
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Snow globe and flocked trim.
A walk-in snow globe inflatable as a photo prop, and a static snow-flocked finish on trim and props.
Typical timeline for Christmas carnivals in Tustin.
- 1
Autumn
Choose the date and the site. A school host picks a date ahead of winter break with the campus; a church or neighborhood host picks a weekend.
- 2
One month before
Fix the booth count and the concessions, and decide whether to add the Santa station. A 50% deposit holds the date.
- 3
Week of the event
The Carnival Fun Experts provides the certificate of insurance or the paperwork a permit asks for, and the host confirms the load-in window with the venue or the city.
- 4
Carnival day
The crew builds the midway in the afternoon, the string lights come on at dusk, and the site is cleared when the carnival closes.
Specifics for Tustin.
- Neighborhood or HOA: A carnival for a neighborhood group runs $4,000 to $10,000.
- Company parties: A company party runs $10,000 to $25,000, and a large multi-department event runs $25,000 to $40,000 or more.
- Church events and small events: Church carnivals start from about $2,000. The smallest custom event The Carnival Fun Experts quotes starts around $1,500.
- Tustin sites: Columbus Tustin Park, Columbus Tustin Recreation Center, Clifton C. Miller Community Center and Tustin Family and Youth Center can host an event. The host confirms space and dates with the venue or the city.
- Schools: Tustin Unified School District sets the approval steps for campus events.
- On the host: Tables, chairs, tents beyond the booths, heating, drinks, permits and other vendors. The Carnival Fun Experts runs generators only for its own equipment when venue power falls short.
Tustin, CA.
ZIPs: 92780 · 92781 · 92782
The Carnival Fun Experts delivers Christmas carnivals throughout Tustin and the surrounding Orange County area. Pin shows the city center; we cover every ZIP listed above.
Common questions.
How early should a Tustin school ask about a Christmas carnival?
A school can raise it with its principal in the fall, since the campus and Tustin Unified School District approve the date. The Carnival Fun Experts builds the quote once the date and the guest count are set.
Can the carnival share an evening with a tree lighting?
Yes. The host runs the tree lighting and supplies the tree. The Carnival Fun Experts places the booths, concessions and Santa station around that area.
Does the snow globe drop snow?
No. It is a walk-in inflatable that families use as a photo prop, and nothing falls inside it.
What does an HOA pay for a Christmas carnival?
Neighborhood and HOA carnivals fall between $4,000 and $10,000, depending on booths, concessions and whether Santa and Mrs. Claus join.
Do you provide the tables and tent?
No. Tables, chairs and any tent beyond The Carnival Fun Experts's booths belong to the host or the venue.
Who handles the city permit?
The host applies for any permit. The Carnival Fun Experts provides the certificate of insurance or the paperwork the permit asks for.
About this guide.
Compiled by The Carnival Fun Experts, the Orange County and Riverside operation of My Little Carnival. This guide to Christmas carnivals in Tustin is meant to help Tustin organizers understand how a winter carnival is planned, not to replace venue rules or city permit guidance. The Carnival Fun Experts can scope a Christmas carnival once the date, venue type, guest count and activity mix are known.
Helpful local references: City of Tustin Parks and Recreation · Tustin Unified School District
Christmas Carnivals in nearby cities.
Thinking about a Christmas carnival in Tustin?
Send The Carnival Fun Experts the date, the site and a guest count, and the quote will break out booths, concessions and the Santa station.
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