For the first time in years, a carnival with big rides will be part of the entertainment mix at KeizerFEST this year.

Jeremy Turner, KeizerFEST co-chair and president of the Keizer Chamber of Commerce, announced the addition at a recent meeting of the Keizer City Council.

“We have been working on it tirelessly for the last probably eight months on trying to secure the one major thing that we’ve always wanted to bring back to KeizerFEST and that’s the carnival,” he told councilors on April 20.

The carnival from Portland’s Funtastic Shows will be set up near the big top tent that is the anchor for the annual festival at Keizer Rapids Park. KeizerFEST runs four days, from Thursday, May 14, through Sunday, May 17. The carnival is scheduled to open up at 3 p.m. Thursday and operate each day. 

Turner said Funtastic will bring in 10 large rides and food vendor booths.

Chamber officials also announced another big change for this year’s festival.

The Keizer Fire District’s pancake breakfast held on the Sunday of KeizerFEST will be served at the big top in the park instead of the fire hall. Runners signing up for the KeizerFEST Fun/Run Walk, based at Keizer Rapids Park, will get a ticket for breakfast.

Sunday morning also will feature the Lego Challenge for young builders, sponsored by Bricks & Beyond of Keizer.

“We’ve been really slow on Sundays and we think that with the addition of the carnival, we’re going to have a lot more people there,” Turner said.

Dan Clem, chamber executive director, said the organization has added “more security this year given that events should always be peaceful and safe.”

“It’s going to be family fun, bigger and better than ever before and everybody needs to go to KeizerFEST,” Clem told councilors.

NOTE: Keizertimes will publish a special section on May 8 with full KeizerFEST details, including the schedule of events, stories on the events and profiles of organizers.