Aug. 26: Terry Sallis is a busy guy, but perhaps his busiest days of the year are the week leading up to Carnival in the Park, an annual community celebration that offers free food and entertainment for all. Each year Sallis walks the streets with a volunteer and a handful of flyers promoting the event.
Carnival in the Park takes a lot of work, says Sallis, even more so when organizers and volunteers want to remove the economic barrier. But in its ninth year, the event continues to have strong community support. Local sponsorships and collaborations ensure that the carnival is here to stay.
“We get support from the police department, the sheriff’s department, the fire department,” Sallis says, noting that the same supporters come back every year. “It gives us continuity, it gives us consistency and it gives us that level of trust that all the stakeholders here buy into it. And they’ve continued to do that.”
Carnival in the Park volunteer John Jaggars has helped Sallis and event organizers for the past three years. He says the joy everyone gets from the carnival — which also promotes diversity — keeps him coming back every year. Children especially have a good time and make use of all the fun amenities.
“It’s good for the community all around,” Jaggars says. “I like being a part of their good time. Seeing people smile and play together, whether they’re black, purple, blue. It’s a good thing anyway. I consider it a privilege to be a part of it. It’s rewarding as shit.”
Some community events like the Iowa State Fair can be cost prohibitive for families. Sallis doesn’t want the community to spend a single cent on Carnival in the Park. Food, games, bounce houses, and products and services available at vendor booths are free.
“Most importantly, it gives the community an opportunity to interact with all the different cultures,” Sallis says. “This is very important. There’s a lot of division in our country now. It’s like we’re segregated. But here you come to an event like this. It’s open, it’s friendly, and you talk to people you don’t know.”
The story continues
Carnival in the Park, a free community event, will return for its ninth year on Aug. 27 at Aurora Park in Newton.
Sallis is the executive director of Integrated Treatment Services, which hosts Carnival in the Park. ITS offers several culturally specific and racially/ethnically specific treatment programs. Sallis has a passion for helping people, especially those who need a second chance.
In the past, Sallis was an ex-offender and also needed a second chance and acceptance from his community. His work at ITS and Carnival in the Park are his way of giving back to the community that allowed him to grow, mature and find success. To put it bluntly, Sallis says she wasn’t always a giving person.
He feels he owes a lot to the community. He has the obligation to return.
“Carnival in the Park gives us a sense of satisfaction, it gives us a sense of belonging to the community and it gives us the opportunity to give back to the community that has given so much to me and my family,” says Sallis. “The fact that the community gave me a second chance means a lot.”
If anything, Carnival in the Park has given Sallis a chance to show the town who he really is: a generous person who puts the needs of the community first.
“It’s really rewarding,” Sallis said. “I think I get more out of it than any of these kids could imagine. I get really excited during carnival week.”
Carnival in the Park, presented by Integrated Treatment Services and Montana Mike’s Steakhouse, is 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 27 at Aurora Park, 2111 First Ave. E., in Newton. The Flavah Band and The Sears Band will provide live music. Montana Mike’s will be offering free hamburgers and hot dogs.
Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com
