No small town is complete without an annual carnival and Orion has their branch of the Lions Club to thank for once again bringing that carnival to life.
The Lions Club Jubilee is back at Canterbury Village from June 21 to 24 and according to member Joe Hildebrand the event is going to be great.
‘We’re going to have carnival rides, food games, the Lions will sell pop and water to raise additional dollars again and we’ll raffle tickets for a Harley Davison motorcycle from the Frasier Lions Club,? he said. ‘On Saturday, we’re going to have the big wheel race again for kids four to eight-years-old and the first, second and third place winners will get a Jubilee access wristband that afternoon.?
This is also the second year the Jubliee will feature the arts and crafts festival in the village itself. Hildebrand said it went well last year with the place ‘packed selling arts and crafts.?
Hildebrand also expressed high satisfaction with the festival’s host – Canterbury Village. Originally the festival was held in downtown Lake Orion but a combination of limited space and unhappy business owners led the operators to consider a different location. Keith Aldridge, owner of Canterbury Village said the complex is happy to have them.
‘I’m proud and happy the Lions Club came to us a few years back. When I got involved with my dad’s business was right when it happened and it turned out to be great,? said Aldridge. ‘They raise more money here, the place is much bigger and you can have more rides. It’s great for the Lions and it’s great for us. Since then we do a lot with the lions now and it’s been a great relationship between the two organizations.?
Aldridge said the craft show will be bigger than in years past and live music will now be featured. He stressed it would be a perfect community event to attend.
Parking will again be tended to by local organizations and this year will see the LOHS lacrosse team and area boy scouts guide visitors to parking spots. Hildebrand pointed out that the high school band boosters, who assisted parking in 2011, raked in over $800. He said it was nice to involve community organizations while offering them a way to earn money.
Tickets will go on sale at the event but wristbands, which allow all-day access are available online at lakeorionlions.org for $18. Hildebrand said he is often surprised at how many people wait until the last minute to buy the wristbands.
‘People can purchase the bands at the festival for $20 but they can get them for $18 online,? he said. ‘They cut off the sale two days before the carnival and people always wait until the last possible minute to buy them.?
Still, the Lions club is constantly looking to make the show better and to do that sponsors are always needed. Call (248) 762-1393 for more information on sponsorship.