At the Coleman Brothers’ carnival at Sports Haven in June 2025. Credit: Sonia Ahmed file photo The city’s parks commission voted reluctantly on Wednesday to allow a longtime carnival business to take over Kimberly Field for nearly two weeks — after expressing concerns about how heavy machi nery and foot traffic might damage the public greenspace. The city’s Commission on Parks, Programs, and Recreational Facilities took that vote during their latest monthly meeting at 720 Edgewood Ave. The carnival is set to take place from June 22 to July 3 on Kimberly Field in the Hill. Parks Department Executive Director Max Webster told commissioners that his department had been approached by Coleman Brothers Shows, which has long hosted carnivals in the parking lot of the Sports Haven site at 600 Long Wharf Dr. Sports Haven, however, closed in 2025 and is in the process of being demolished to make way for a future development. Webster said the carnival therefore wasn’t able to return to that loction. After having trouble finding another lot in the city to use, the Coleman Brothers Shows reached out to the Hill-based Boys Girls Clubs of Greater New Haven (BGCGNH) for help, according to BGCGNH CEO Tameika G. Miller. With the support of Hill alders, the Coleman Brothers Shows and BGCGNH looked to Kimberly Field. They needed the approval of the Parks Department. Webster told commissioners that his department was planning to accommodate the request, which he had received two weeks before. He said that he brought the matter to commissioners on Wednesday both because it fell outside of the normal timeline for review and in order to hear their thoughts on what an appropriate permit fee would be. “Generally speaking, I don’t think these kinds of events are a great use of our spaces,” Webster said. That’s because a carnival takes up a lot of space, invites extra foot traffic, and involves heavy machinery on turf grass, he said. The field is currently used for cricket and soccer, and potential damage to the park would be difficult to repair quickly. “We have a big project on our hands in terms of repairing our sports and athletic fields, and further degradation of those spaces is a challenge,” Webster added. But, he said, he found it important to accommodate the fundraising opportunity for the BGCGNH. Therefore, his goal was to establish a longterm approach for events like this one in the future. “I like to see them get these things,” said Commissioner Carl Babb, who also serves as the board’s chair, about the BGCGNH. But, he said, they had to consider the aftermath. “What would be our recourse after, in case we have any big damage?” Webster replied that the Parks Department charges permit fees for reserving parks. Because there would be vending, and the carnival would be making money, Webster felt it was reasonable to charge $500 per day for the permit. That’s about $6,000 over 12 days. Webster said he thought that amount of money would cover potential damages. He also proposed a $10,000 deposit that can be held in the case of additional damage. “If we have good weather, I think it would be less damaging,” said Babb. “But bad weather, it can be very, very damaging.” Commissioner Mary Ann Moran wondered whether there was any other area in the city that would better serve the carnival. “Because putting it on the grass in the park, I just think it’s going to be a disaster,” she said. Meeting attendee Sally Esposito suggested the IKEA parking lot. Moran agreed. “That’s huge!” Webster said that the carnival wouldn’t be able to work out an arrangement with a private landlord between now and next week. “They’re coming to us because obviously it’s cheaper to rent park space,” he said. “So that’s that’s where we’re at with the situation right now.” The commissioners agreed that they had reservations. Webster echoed their concern, but pointed to the importance of fundraising for the BGCGNH. Webster also said that the Parks Department has its eye on Kimberly Field for improvements, and that he is optimistic that they’ll be able to secure grant funding for new amenities in the near future. He encouraged commissioners to think of how the park should be used going forward. “It’s not a good situation for us to have to be making these decisions on the fly,” he said. “We want to be able to say, ‘This is what this park space is for,’ and if it accommodates that use, that’s great. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t, right?” Commissioners agreed that they should be clear in their approval of the park’s usage for the carnival that it would be a one-time occurrence. In the end, Commissioners Babb, Moran, Kenya Adams-Martin, Emily Sigman, and Harvey Feinberg approved the $500-per-day permit fee for the carnival and a deposit of $10,000 for the one-time approval of the permit for Kimberly Field. “We are grateful to the Parks Commission for their approval and take their concerns about Kimberly Field’s grounds seriously,” BGCGNH CEO Miller told the Independent in an email statement. “Coleman Brothers Amusements has assured us they are fully prepared to restore or returf any areas of the park impacted by the carnival, and we are committed to holding them to that standard.” Miller said that, after the carnival company approached her organization for help following the loss of the Sports Haven site, BGCGNH saw an opportunity “to bring something joyful directly to the families we serve — rather than asking our community to travel elsewhere. In exchange for our work in helping secure the space, a percentage of carnival proceeds will benefit BGCGNH operations, making this both a community investment and a meaningful fundraising opportunity. We look forward to a wonderful event and to being good stewards of this neighborhood space.” BGCGNH Director of Programs Operations Asadie Walters added, “The Hill deserves investment, celebration, and fun. Our families shouldn’t have to leave their neighborhood for that. I’m grateful to the Parks Commission for working with us, and I’m excited to see our community come together right in our backyard for this Carnival.” Commissioner Mary Ann Moran: Is there a better place for the carnival, with concrete? The post Carnival OK’d For Kimberly Field appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less