Carnival is Thursday, May 8, 2025 from 6-8pm!

We’re wildly excited for the 2025 Countryside Carnival on Thursday, May 8th from 6:00-8:00 PM! This action-packed evening is full of games, prizes, delicious eats, and jungle-sized fun. It’s a favorite tradition for Countryside students and families, and one of our school's biggest fundraisers of the year!  Every dollar raised supports classroom grants, scholarships, staff appreciation, and awesome PTO events like the All-School Party and Celebration of Cultures.

• Volunteer today! We need you! Carnival takes 150+ volunteers each year – sign up to volunteer 
• Pre-purchase wristbands and raffle tickets, pre-order form available.
• Ticket pickup and sales at Door 1! Cash and checks accepted.
• Mon 5/5 – Wed 5/7: 2:30–6:00 PM
• Thurs 5/8: 7:30 AM–5:30 PM

• Don’t-miss-out raffle! More than 65 chances to win! Last chance to enter the raffle is 7:15pm.

• Grand prizes: iPad, Nintendo Switch and Beats by Dre
• Themed raffle baskets: Pokémon, Squishmallows, Spa Night, STEAM kits & more!
• Ultimate Playdates: Dave & Buster’s, Nickelodeon Universe, Pinstripes & more!
• VIP experiences with the Edina Hornets and the Edina Police Department

• Come hungry!
  • Food trucks will be on-site serving up favorites including pizza, burgers, chicken fingers, pretzels, mini donuts, ice cream and more! Check out the full menus.

• A cash-only concessions table will also be available, offering a selection of snacks, treats, juice, soda, and water, all priced between $1–$3.
• Support our community sponsors: We are so grateful to this year’s sponsors for supporting Carnival, and all our PTO does for students, faculty, and families throughout the year.

• Ticket pre-sale is highly recommended, but we will have day-of tickets available for purchase. This is a cash- or check-only event. There are ATMs located near Jerry's.
• Bring a bag to carry around prizes.
• Come hungry, but snack before! We recommend a snack for (you and) your kids
  beforehand. There will be plenty of food to purchase, however to help combat those
  overstimulated meltdowns, a snack beforehand will go a long way!
• Fill out your raffle tickets in advance. Pre-purchase your raffle tickets so you have
  time to fill them out legibly. One seasoned parent even prints out contact labels at home
  and sticks them directly onto their tickets! Last chance to enter the raffle is 7:15 PM.
• Thank you for volunteering! If you’ve signed-up for shift, please be on-time to ensure
  all volunteers also get to enjoy the event with their family.

Q: How can I help? 
A: We’d love your help! Carnival takes over 150 volunteers to ensure a safe and smooth event
for all our attendees.  We will need volunteers to run the games or help with various areas of the
event.  Grab a friend, sign up a caregiver or grandparent... and we love to see middle school or
high school alumni help too!  Sign up to volunteer.

Hot tip! The games are broken out into several shifts. It’s easy to spend time with your family for
the first part of Carnival and then send them off with one parent while the other parent grabs a
shift. You can also grab a buddy and sign up for a shift together. Friends help friends volunteer!

Q: What tickets do I have to purchase? 
A: The following tickets will be available for purchase: (order form here)

• Event wristbands are required for all students (children 3 and younger are free): $15
  before event, $20 at the door
• Raffle tickets: $1 These must be purchased in cash, by an adult, 18+ years or older per
  state law.

Hot Tip! This is a cash or check only event. There are ATMs located near Jerry's.

Q: When should I purchase tickets?
A: We highly recommend pre-ordering tickets! Pre-order forms (available now) will be sent home with students. You can also pre-order in-person the week of Carnival, Mon 5/5 – Wed 5/7 from 2:30-6pm and Thurs 5/8 from 7:30am-5:30pm.

Hot Tip! Write your contact information on raffle tickets at home – and save yourself the time and hassle while at Carnival.

Q: Will there be food available?
A: Yes! We will have a wide variety of entrees, snacks, desserts and beverages available for purchase. Check out the full menus.

We try our best to accommodate those with food allergies - nothing in the menu includes nuts,
but may be processed in a facility with several different allergens. 

Q: Am I eligible for scholarship support to attend Carnival?
A: For Student Scholarship support, including tickets, contact Marya Dumke, Countryside
School Social Worker (Marya.Dumke@edinaschools.org). 

Q: I’ve never been to Carnival, what should I expect?
A: Be ready to play games! Weather permitting, we’ll set-up Carnival activities and games
both outside and inside. Many classrooms will include either a game such as putt putt, plinko, a
cereal walk, ball drop, ping pong toss, a book walk, and more! There will also be a quiet room for those that need a break.

  
Q: How Does the Raffle Work?
A: The process is much like a traditional raffle where you put your tickets in buckets at the
event. You can purchase as many raffle “tickets/chances” as you like for $1 each. Tickets must
be purchased in cash, by an adult, 18+ years or older per state law.

Last chance to enter the raffle is 7:15 PM.

Before you drop them in the box, we ask you to add your contact information on each ticket (at
least your name and phone number). Be sure to keep the bigger portion of the ticket, this
allows us to match the winning name/number. The more entries, the better your chances… And
remember each ticket purchase goes back to the school! 

We have more than 65 chances to win this year! In addition to our Grand Prizes – an iPad, Nintendo Switch and Beats by Dre – we’ll have themed raffle baskets (think Pokémon, Squishmallows, Spa Night, STEAM kits & more), Ultimate Playdate packages including Dave & Buster’s, Nickelodeon Universe, Pinstripes & others, and VIP experiences from the Edina Hornets athletics teams and the Edina Police Department.

Remember to place your ticket into the container before 7:15 PM, when the raffle closes.
Winners will be announced during the live drawing starting at 7:30 PM. You do not have to be
present to win - we will contact you to coordinate your prize pickup. Prizes must be picked up by
an adult (18+) starting at 8:00 PM. A list of winners will be available online during the event. 
 
Q: Can I let my child go off on their own?
A: This is your own call but it is not unusual for children to be seen on their own at Carnival. If
you feel comfortable that they know their way around the school and have a buddy or two to go
with then go for it! 

Q: Can I bring a stroller?
A: Carnival is wildly fun but also wildly busy and can get crowded. If possible, we highly
recommend leaving the stroller at home.

Q: Where do I park?
A: There will be parking at and around Countryside. Please plan to park on the streets surrounding the school. Overflow parking is also graciously permitted by neighbor, Good Samaritan Church (5730 Grove St).

Q: Any additional questions?
A: Feel free to reach out if you have any other questions. We were once in your shoes
and are happy to talk through any questions or concerns you have. You can email the
Carnival Co-Chairs with questions: Krissy Sommerstad
(kjsommerstad@gmail.com) and Rachelle Haroldson (rachelle.haroldson@gmail.com).