To run a carnival or fair that really raises money, set a clear goal, get almost everything donated or lent, run 8 to 15 food and game booths with one lead per booth, and sell booth tickets at a single cashier table so the money stays in one place. With a good volunteer schedule and a plan for counting cash, one afternoon can raise far more than a bake sale.
This works for a school carnival, a PTA fair, a church festival, a neighborhood block party or a benefit for a family or cause. (In many Latino communities, this is a kermés, with lotería, elotes and aguas frescas. Same playbook.)
Step 1: Set a goal and a clear cause
People give more when they know what it's for. Decide first:
- What the money is for: "New uniforms for the team", "fixing the hall roof", "the 6th grade field trip".
- How much you want to raise. A real number. "We're raising $5,000."
- Who's organizing. The school, the PTA, the parish, the neighborhood group. It matters for permits and for telling people where the money goes.
Tip: put a big goal thermometer at the entrance and fill it in during the day. People love watching it climb.
Step 2: Date, place and permits
The date: tie it to something if you can: back to school, fall festival, Halloween, spring fling, the end of the school year. Pick a Saturday or Sunday that doesn't clash with a big community event.
The place: the school playground, the church hall or parking lot, a park, or a closed street. Look for shade, bathrooms, power and somewhere to store things.
Permits: rules vary by city and county, so ask early:
- Use of the space: get written permission from the school or church. For a park or street, ask the city about a special event permit.
- Food sales: many places require a temporary food permit, especially if you cook on site. Ask your county health department.
- Raffles: many states regulate raffles, even for a good cause. Check your state's rules before selling raffle tickets.
- Alcohol: for a family event, the simplest choice is not to sell it.
Step 3: Get almost everything donated or lent
The secret to a carnival that makes money is spending very little. Ask for:
- Donated food: each class, family or group can run one booth and bring the ingredients.
- Tables, chairs, canopies: borrowed from the school, the church or neighbors.
- Game prizes: candy, small toys, stuffed animals. Local businesses often donate if you thank them in public.
- Sponsors: a bakery, an auto shop, a realtor or an insurance agent can give money or prizes in exchange for their name on a banner and a shout-out on the mic.
Keep a shared list of what you need and who's bringing it.
Step 4: Choose your booths
For a school or community carnival, 8 to 15 booths is a good number. Mix food, games and something for adults.
Food booth ideas:
- Hot dogs, nachos and walking tacos.
- Pizza by the slice (often donated by a local pizzeria).
- Popcorn and cotton candy.
- Bake sale table.
- Snow cones, ice pops and lemonade.
- Tamales, elotes and aguas frescas.
- Coffee and hot chocolate for the grown-ups.
Carnival game ideas:
- Ring toss and bean bag toss.
- Duck pond (every duck wins something).
- Cake walk.
- Fishing booth.
- Can knockdown.
- Sack races.
- Jail: "arrest" a friend, who pays bail in tickets to get out.
- Dunk tank with the principal or the pastor (always a hit).
- Face painting.
- Lotería.
Tip: food booths almost always raise more than games. Games bring families in; food pays the bills.
Step 5: Use booth tickets and one cashier table
The tidiest way to handle money is with booth tickets (also called scrip, tokens, or fichas at a kermés): people buy tickets at one cashier table and spend them at every booth.
Why it works:
- The money stays in one place. No 15 cash boxes wandering around.
- Booths move faster. They only take tickets, no making change.
- You know what sold. Count the cash against the tickets that went out.
How to do it:
- Set a value: for example, 1 ticket = $1.
- Price every booth in tickets: "Hot dog: 3 tickets", "Duck pond: 2 tickets".
- Sell tickets in bundles: 10 for $10, 25 for $20 (a small discount encourages bigger buys).
- Start the cashier with a cash float of small bills and coins.
- Always have two trusted people at the cashier table.
If you charge admission, sell it online beforehand with tickets included: "Entry + 10 booth tickets: $12". You raise money before the day, and families arrive ready to play.
Step 6: Organize your volunteers
Each booth needs a lead, and ideally two or three helpers per shift. Two-hour shifts work well, so volunteers can enjoy the carnival with their kids too.
- Make a list of every booth, its lead and their phone number.
- Hold a short huddle before opening: where the cashier is, what to do if something runs out, who to call.
- Have a couple of "floaters" who help wherever needed.
- Put someone in charge of trash and cleanup during the event, not just at the end.
Step 7: Promote it
- Flyers home in backpacks and at church or school entrances, with the date, time, place and cause.
- Parent, parish and neighborhood group chats and Facebook groups.
- Announcements at services, assemblies and meetings, and on community radio if you have one.
- Photos of the food and booths a few days before. Food sells itself.
- Bilingual if your community is. Flyers and posts in English and Spanish invite everyone.
Step 8: Carnival day
- Set up early. Canopies, tables, signs with prices in tickets, and the cashier.
- Open on time with music playing from the start.
- Use the mic to announce games, contests and the goal thermometer.
- Pull cash from the cashier every hour or two and store it somewhere safe, counted by two people.
- At closing, count everything with two people, write the total down and both sign the sheet.
Step 9: After the carnival
- Announce how much you raised and what it will pay for. People want to know.
- Thank volunteers, donors and sponsors in public, online and at the next meeting or service.
- Note what sold best and what was left over, for next year.
- Keep the contacts of people who bought online, so you can invite them next time.
How to do this in Eventasaurus
Eventasaurus handles the trickiest part: the money.
- Booth tickets as add-ons. Under Add-ons, create a New add-on for each bundle: "10 booth tickets", "25 booth tickets". Set the price and how many you have.
- Sell online ahead of time. If you charge admission, create your event with a ticket and offer the booth-ticket bundles at checkout (Offered with). Families pay ahead by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, and the money goes straight to your school's or organization's own Stripe account.
- The cashier on a phone. On the day, open the Merch Booth on a phone, tap a bundle and choose Collect cash or card. For card, the buyer scans a QR code with their own phone and pays there. Stock and totals update automatically, so you always know how much you've sold.
- QR check-in at the gate. If you charge admission, volunteers scan tickets with Check-In, even when the playground has poor signal.
- Volunteers without passwords. Under Manage Staff, invite the people working the cashier table or the gate. They can only use check-in and the Merch Booth, with no access to settings or buyer details.
- English and Spanish for your volunteers and your families.
About fees: cash sales at the Merch Booth carry no platform fee. Card sales are orders like any other: 1% per order with a $1 minimum, plus Stripe's card processing. So take cash for small purchases and use cards for bigger bundles (like $20 of tickets). Families never pay extra fees.
FAQ
How do you organize a school carnival fundraiser?
Set a goal and a cause, get permission for the space, run 8 to 15 food and game booths with a lead each, schedule volunteers in shifts, sell booth tickets at one cashier table with a cash float, and count the money with two people at the end.
How many booths should a school carnival have?
For a school or community carnival, 8 to 15 booths is a good range. Mix food, which raises the most, with games for families.
How do booth tickets work at a carnival?
People buy tickets at one cashier table and spend them at every booth. The money stays in one place, booths don't make change, and you can count the cash against the tickets sold at the end.
Can we take credit cards at a school carnival?
Yes. With the Eventasaurus Merch Booth, buyers scan a QR code and pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay on their own phone. For small purchases, cash is better, since cash sales carry no platform fee.
Do we need a permit for a school carnival?
Often, yes: for the space, for food sales and for raffles. Check with your city and your county health department early.