VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Mt. Trashmore Summer Carnival, typically bustling with eager families lining up for tickets, is eerily quiet this year.
Families could be seen lining up Monday night, hoping to create some fun memories.
But they arrived to locked gates.
The carnival closed for the foreseeable future after Sunday night due to a shortage in law enforcement staffing, leaving many disappointed.
Joel Cadwell, carnival coordinator with National Events Management Inc., expressed his frustration.
"To be honest with you, I still haven’t wrapped my mind around it, simply because we don’t understand it," he said.
For the past 35 years, Cadwell has collaborated with Deggeller Attractions to host the Mt. Trashmore Summer Carnival. This abrupt closure is unprecedented in his experience.
"It’s never happened to me…it’s never happened to Deggeller Attractions," he told WTKR News 3 reporter Jay Greene.
The City of Virginia Beach announced the closure Sunday evening, citing deficits in public safety staffing. Efforts were made to increase personnel from the police department and sheriff’s office. However, those efforts fell short.
"We were notified that they couldn’t make those numbers…that they didn’t have enough people signing up to work the duty," Cadwell said.
This shortage comes after a tragic incident in 2024, where a 15-year-old was shot and killed in the carnival's parking lot.
The impact of the closure is extending to the 150 employees who staff the carnival.
"Right now, they’re doing nothing…they won’t have any paycheck for the next three weeks," Cadwell told Greene.
Cadwell detailed the logistical challenges of the situation, noting that setting up the carnival is no quick task.
"You don’t just pick this stuff up and move it down the street… it takes a week to set this up," he said.
In a desperate bid for resolution, the carnival took to social media on Monday, urging the public to reach out to city council members.
"There's always hope," Cadwell said. "I truly believe that those that made the decision did realize the impact of their decision."
He plans to meet with a representative from the city manager's office on Tuesday in hopes of finding a solution.
For now, families who arrived anticipating a night of fun will need to look elsewhere.
WTKR News 3 has filed a FOIA request to further investigate what led up to the carnival's closure. Of course, we'll keep you posted as we learn more.
