Carnival worker Dameta Jones, above, cleans the window of a food concession stand in preparation for the RSVP Spring Fun Fair while rubber duckies, right, float at one of the booths for the fair that opens at Mills Park Thursday at 4 p.m.
The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program will salute moms in Northern Nevada Thursday through Sunday at its 19th annual RSVP Spring Fun Fair at Mills Park.
The four-day event features a carnival with all-day ride passes every day, food and beverages and 28 vendors offering a variety of arts and crafts.
Admission to the carnival is free. On Sunday, Mother's Day, all moms can ride the carnival rides all day for free.
Cotton candy, corn dogs, ice cold sodas, popcorn and more pleasure the taste buds as carnival-goers stroll along green grass amid booths promoting games of skill and chance.
Weather outlook calls for fair skies Thursday and Friday with temperatures in the mid-70s, with cloudy skies forecast for Saturday and Sunday.
Mike Hughes, volunteer program director of development, said Inland Empire Shows will provide the midway carnival.
Part of Royal West Amusements, the company has two carnival shows which travel throughout the West.
"There should be about 15 carnival rides plus the midway challenge games," said Hughes. "Plus four or five kiddie rides."
Food includes prime rib, pork chops, barbecue ribs, hamburgers, funnel cakes, alcoholic beverages as well as soda, tempura shrimp and teriyaki sticks.
Hughes said there are more than 700 homebound seniors currently in the Home Companion program. Cost per person is about $80,000 a year according to Janice Ayres, executive director of RSVP.
"That is how much money we save the state each year through the program," Ayres said.
The program makes the individual capable of staying in their own home, rather than live in an assisted living or care facility, as long as possible.
One of the fastest growing age segments of Northern Nevada is retirees. The RSVP program provides aid to the homebound, and the annual spring carnival is one of four key fund-raisers.
Special all-day ride passes are available each day as well as individual ride tickets.
Fifty-six new parking spaces have been added to the William Street side of Mills Park, in addition to parking to the east of the Pony Express Pavilion and at the Carson City Community Center.
Contact Rhonda Costa-Landers at rcosta-landers@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1223.
