You know that saying that good things come in threes? Well, it happened to me yesterday…read more
I found out through Los Rolling Tacos, a food truck that travels around the Wellington area, that it would be at Riverside Park for the Cambridge Kin Carnival.
Three great things:
- Riverside Park
- Cambridge Kin Carnival
- Los Rolling Tacos
This review will cover all three.
The Cambridge Kin Carnival hasn't been on since the pandemic hit in 2020. It finally returned this year.
I grew up in the Beaches. There used to be a carnival every year at Greenwood Racetrack, which used to be on the southwest corner of Woodbine Avenue and Queen Street East. These days, it's a community of townhouses, condos, and businesses.
I loved that carnival. Rides. Food. Games. So much fun and great memories!
Riverside Park is huge. It makes sense why this park is ideal for large events. This carnival is pretty large to accommodate all the rides, games, and food trucks.
I only caught what I felt was a subsection of the entire park. It has a greenhouse, a baseball diamond, a playground, a hiking trail, and lots of picnic tables. It's stunning with all the greenery and flowers.
The entrance is cool. There is a dedication to World War II veterans. You also encounter a rock that is over a billion years old. Wow!
There is parking at this park. It's all free. However, with the carnival, spaces were all taken and folks were parking off to the side next to the trees, parallel to Grand River. I parked across the street where there were more spots. I realized later that I had parked behind the Preston Electric Power House, which is deemed a historic site. It was free parking, too.
The carnival was so much fun. Games catered more to kids, but adults were playing them like kids, too. Each play was 25 cents, which was reminiscent to how much it was when I was a kid. Everything from bashing gophers to playing the bowling game was all there.
There were plenty of rides. You need to get tickets first before going on the rides. Some were catered to kids and those who want something calmer, such as the carousel and ferris wheel. If you are more adventurous, there were the Ali Baba and Avalanche rides. Expect lots of screaming when you are in the vicinity.
There were several food trucks. The one with ice cream and popsicles had the most business. I was ready for lunch, so I had tacos from Los Rolling Taco.
I got three tacos for $18:
- Birria (beef)
- Al pastor (pork)
- Tinga (chicken)
All three were gluten-free. The filling in all tacos were generous. The proteins were flavourful and tender. I enjoyed every taco and dipping them into the sauces that accompanied them.
I bought a can of Diet Coke. Sadly, I didn't realize that I didn't get it until I was halfway through eating. I went back to the truck to get it. The man thought that he had given it to me. Nope, I needed to wash my food down. He gave me a can. It wasn't cold, which was the only minor damper to my experience.
This truck accepted debit and credit cards. I brought cash and didn't use it, but it was there just in case.
The carnival had a blocked-off area with benches. I asked if I could eat in there. The nice security guy said yes as long as I was 19 years of age and older. Sweet! It was by the stage where a dance troop was about to showcase their routines.
There are washrooms everywhere. It was such a large area that it was comfortable walking around, even with so many folks attending the carnival.
It is a picturesque park, especially by the river and where the greenhouse is. I'd love to return again just to walk around when there isn't a major carnival happening!
It was such a great visit. I'm so glad that I took in a carnival with great food at a wonderful park.
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