History

The History of Our Event

Carnivàle Lune Bleue was painstakingly orchestrated over several years, from conception to reality. Visionary and Executive Producer, Wayne Van De Graaff, is a carnival enthusiast who has, for many years, been fascinated with the dream of reviving an authentic 1930s carnival, and with Carnivàle Lune Bleue, his vision will indeed come to life, launching its North American debut in Ottawa on August 1, 2008.

Carnivàle Lune Bleue will offer its guests passes to three amazing shows, along with access to the authentically reproduced 1930s midway! Make sure you don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime chance! Buy your tickets NOW! Only available through Capital Tickets or call 613.599.3267

The Visionary

Wayne Van De Graaff spent a lifetime enamored with the idea of reviving the 1930s carnival where one could transcend time to a simpler, romantic and magical place. It was in this era that the travelling carnival rolled into town and breathed life and imagination into a community. The carnival was "the" source of extraordinary entertainment and excellent dining.

Wayne’s fascination with the late 1800s and early 1900s began as a child when, growing up in Utah, he would eagerly wait for the travelling carnivals to roll up. He has experienced, first hand, the thrill of riding in an original 1930s Eli Bridge No 5 Ferris wheel, spending hours wandering through a sea of colourful canvas tents, experiencing authentic sideshows and being captivated by acrobats and magicians.

Each year Wayne’s family would make the pilgrimage from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles for their annual visit to Disneyland. Rather than heading straight for the roller coasters and more contemporary amusements, Wayne would escape to the more nostalgic Main Street. “You’d walk through those gates and disappear,” he recalls. “It was a simple old style world of penny arcades and carriages. It was magical.”

Wayne made Canada his home eight years ago when he and his wife purchased a heritage 100-acre dairy farm from Donny Scharf in Kars. The farm was awarded the title of Best Farmstead in 1952 and has been painstakingly restored under Wayne's direction, creating an old-style haven for his family and friends. During this restoration period, his Carnivàle Lune Bleue vision began to prosper. "I wanted to create an experience where others could completely immerse themselves in the early 1900s," Wayne recollects. "I considered creating a country store, art-house cinema or a gypsy village – even a Wild West sheep camp, and then I finally realized I could reinvent the original carnival complete with fine dining and amazing entertainment."

When it came to locating the 1930s carnival, Wayne consulted with the Kars Fair Board, "Bringing Carnivàle Lune Bleue to the Kars Fairground seemed the perfect fit as it is one of the last true rural fairgrounds in Ottawa," said Wayne. "We are ecstatic to be part of the Kars Fairground – it is surrounded by active farmers' fields and reflects the atmosphere of our heritage farm."

Click the image below to get an inside peak into Van De Graaff’s vision and the event’s fascinating history!

Bringing It All Together

Wayne knew that his carnival dream couldn’t come to fruition without the staple of all carnivals – the Ferris wheel. And so his search began. It ended with the purchase of a stunning piece, a 1917 Eli Bridge No. 5 Ferris wheel that had been abandoned in a barn for more than 40 years in Canada’s Thunder Bay, “It was an amazing find,” Wayne says. “It’s the oldest ground-mounted wheel that exists in North America”.

Piece by piece, Wayne sought out the essential elements to create his 1930s carnival vision. He is adamant that every aspect of the event be as authentic as possible, “We have a spectacular 1938 Allan Herschell three-abreast wooden carousel and the first ever Big Top used by Cirque du Soleil,” Wayne explains. “Every tent on the grounds will be an authentic recreation of the circus tents not used since the 1940s.”

For more than a year, Wayne has lived and breathed Carnivàle Lune Bleue, personally sourcing every element, to create a world class inspired extravaganza. Wayne has spared no detail, and so come August, the people of Ottawa will be lucky enough to be the first to share in this spectacular experience when Carnivàle Lune Bleue, in all its grandeur, comes to life.

Travelling Carnival History

Throughout the 19th Century, rural North America enjoyed the entertainment of traveling carnivals. These featured circus style performances, vaudeville or burlesque shows, games of chance, freak shows, sideshows and rides such as the Ferris wheel. They became particularly popular in the post depression years and it’s estimated that by 1937 more than 300 carnivals were touring North America.

The carnival would seemingly "blow" unpredictably into town, setting up in empty farmland on the edge of a community and transforming the field into an ocean of colourful tents and banners overnight. Without warning, after several weeks, the carnies would tear down and pack up, heading back to the sawdust trail to seek out their next location.