Tuesday, June 24, 2025
79 ° Clear
79 ° Clear
Visitors drove in, and were met with firefighting volunteers directing them to open patches of parkable, green spring grass. They looked left and saw search-and-rescue K9s obeying their owners’ commands. To their right, they spotted a big green, quintessential-looking fire truck. And looking straight ahead, attendees beheld the bright, dizzying rides and fair foods that made up the 2025 Upper Makefield Fire Department annual carnival.
This year’s carnival was held from May 6 - May 10 at the soccer fields in Washington Crossing State Park. With the help of volunteer firefighters providing parking and ticketing assistance, along with Houghton Enterprises being contracted to provide the rides, the carnival functioned, and has functioned, as a major fundraising event for the Fire Department and a fun night out for members of the community.
The Upper Makefield Fire Department has been operating since 1967, primarily serving the residents of Upper Makefield and providing mutual aid services to surrounding fire companies such as New Hope, Lower Makefield, Yardley, Newtown, and some NJ communities upon request. Responding to about 200-250 calls per year, the department consists of all volunteer, unpaid firefighters ranging from 18 years old to 70 years old.
In 1979, the first year of the carnival, it was located at the Taylorsville Road firehouse in what is now the River Knoll neighborhood. In recent years, it has been held in the park on River Road south of Route 532, and across from the Washington Crossing Post Office. However, beginning last year, the carnival was held at the soccer fields in Washington Crossing State Park, providing a larger parking area to accommodate all the vehicles driven to the carnival.
The carnival raises about $20-25,000 each year, which is funneled into a collective fundraising account in which the department may utilize the money throughout the year for special projects, maintenance of the firehouse, and equipment like general turnout gear which could cost upwards of $25,000.
According to Tim Brewer, the fire department chief, the carnival’s main focus when it originally opened was fundraising. Now, Brewer has seen it become more than just fundraising, but a widespread community event. In addition to the immediate Upper Makefield area, attendees travel from outside the nearby area to attend, and has morphed into a favorite community event involving multiple generations.
“A mother approached me last night who came here with a bunch of sixth and seventh graders. As soon as they put their wristbands on, they said, ‘thanks mom’, and took off. But she said I have them in a place that's in our community, and I'd rather have them here than maybe walking around a mall,” Brewer said. “We've had kids that grew up in the community who bring their kids back to the carnival because they were here when they were a kid.”
To Kevin Campbell, the fire department vice president and chairman of the carnival committee, the carnival provides “a little bit of luxury” for the community with its old-school fair charm.
“There's not a lot of places to go on a weekday or a weeknight with your kids where you can go back in time to a smaller theme park type of carnival in the area,” Campbell said. “It’s a nice local draw for the kids to come and have some fun enjoying some rides, buying some funnel cake or cotton candy, or playing some games of chance.”
In front of the event and to the left of the ticket booth sat some of the most well-behaved and level-headed carnival attendees–search and rescue dogs from Alpha K9 Search and Recovery. This all-volunteer team is based in Bucks County and receives calls from the fire department to utilize their services when people have been reported missing.
At the carnival, the team hoped to educate children on K9 search and rescue, and expose the dogs to a loud atmosphere. Cheryl Rose, K9 handler and vice president of the team, introduced “Zeke” to the carnival. “He's a puppy. He's seven months old. So bringing him into these kinds of events gets him used to the loud noises, lots of hands petting him and again, helps build their training as far as being a search and rescue canine,” Rose said.
Under a blown-up picture of golden brown turkey legs, a three-man band featuring a saxophone, banjo, and upright bass played old-school music to attendees with corn dogs in their hands. In western Pennsylvania, they may be known as the “Houghton Boys” and could be found adorned with cowboy hats and boots, while in Eastern PA they might be referred to as the “Eagles Pep Band”. Yet, at fire department events, as saxophonist Brian Saunders says, they proudly call themselves the “Firehouse Three”.
“We certainly like playing for the department. It's a thankless job that they do, and it's good to reward them with whatever we can give them, musically, or support in any kind of way,” Saunders said.
As the rides slowed and music faded, the 2025 Upper Makefield Fire Department Carnival wrapped up another year of community, tradition, and support. What began as a fundraiser has grown into a beloved local event, bringing generations together for fun, food, and a shared appreciation of the volunteers who serve this community.
