Kevin Campbell drove from Hartford to the Hill on Saturday afternoon to attend the Coleman Brothers carnival with his daughter. A Hartford resident who works in at a car shop in New Haven, Campbell said he was leaving his shift last week when he spotted the lights and rides going up at Kimberly Fie ld. “I was getting out of work and I decided to take my daughter,” Campbell said. “I thought she would like it and, you know, create fun memories along the way.” Campbell and his daughter were two of the attendees Saturday at the Kimberly Field carnival, which began last Wednesday and runs through Friday. Campbell and his daughter made their way through the Monkey Maze before grabbing hot dogs to cap off the evening. Clouds hung low and light rain fell on and off throughout Saturday evening, but that didn’t stop families from attending. Hamden’s Shinell Taylor said she had a special reason for showing up. Her middle-school-aged son had brought home good grades and she wanted to celebrate the occasion. “I wanted to treat him well. You know, a Saturday mom day with my son and have fun,”  Taylor said Taylor said she heard about the carnival from a neighbor, who attended the grand opening last Wednesday. She and her son rode the Ferris Wheel together before checking out the rest of the grounds. The carnival itself almost didn’t happen. The Coleman Brothers fest usually sets up in the parking lot of Sports Haven on Long Wharf. That site was unavailable this year due to the upcoming demolition of that now-closed off-track betting venue. The city’s Parks Commission, meanwhile, signed off on the carnival operating on Kimberly Field only after expressing concerns about how heavy machinery and foot traffic might damage the public greenspace. For Taylor, the location itself wasn’t an issue. If anything, she liked it. “This is good. It’s close, it’s a good spot, though I would prefer it to be bigger,” she said. The carnival’s arrival at Kimberly Field is thanks in large part to Tameika G. Miller, the new CEO of the Boys Girls Clubs of Greater New Haven. Coleman Brothers sought hep from Miller in finding a new location to operate because of her ties to city leaders and community members. A share of the carnival’s earnings will go back to the club as a fundraiser. According to Miller, the timing carries extra significance this year. The club is marking its 155th anniversary as the oldest and longest-running Boys Girls Club in the country. Over a century and a half, the nonprofit has shaped generations of what Miller calls “club kids.” She said that her nonprofit currently serves three cohorts — elementary, middle, and high school youth ages 5 to 18. The club serves these age groups through programming that extends well past the sports the organization is best known for, including STEM programs, mentorship, leadership programs, and workforce readiness training. Miller said the money raised from the carnival will go toward the club’s operating budget for its summer camp and after-school programs. She said she is just as focused on what the carnival can do beyond fundraising. She wants to reintroduce the club to families who may have drifted away from it over the years, particularly in the Hill community, where she said the event will carry special meaning. “It’s not only a fundraiser but a ‘friendraiser,’” Miller told the Independent. “It’s an opportunity to let them know that we are still here and that we are still willing to help our community.” Rides and game booths and overcast skies at the carnival on Saturday. Boys Girls Club of Greater New Haven Director of Resource Development Kim Williams and CEO Tameika Miller. The Monkey Maze, at the carnival. The post Carnival Comes To Kimberly Field appeared first on New Haven Independent. ...read more read less