SOUTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — Dorney Park & Wildwater Kingdom has brought the cultures of the world right to the Lehigh Valley.
The park is hosting a Grand Carnivale International Festival, which celebrates the cultures of China, France, Germany, Italy and Spain with food, music, dance and decorations.
- Dorney Park is hosting a Grande Carnivale International Festival that celebrates international cultures
- It will run every day until Aug. 6, excluding Tuesdays. It starts at 5 p.m. and goes until 10 p.m.
- Entry is included in park admission, but attendees need to buy tasting cards for the food
The festival will run every day until Aug. 6, excluding Tuesdays. It starts at 5 p.m. and goes until 10 p.m. Entry is included in park admission.
Dorney Public Relations and Communications Manager Ryan Eldredge said park officials decided to not have the festival on Tuesdays this year to give the performers and the culinary team a day off.
Grand Carnivale caused some problems for local residents last weekend: Dorney Park traffic caused major delays on Hamilton Boulevard Saturday.
Eldredge said that day was the park’s busiest of the year so far, partially because it was the first day of the festival. He said park officials and South Whitehall Township staff had a “productive meeting” on the topic this week and will continue to work on the issue.
From paella to panzerotti
While entry to the festival comes with admission, the event has one main feature that needs an additional purchase: the global cuisine.
Attendees have to buy tasting cards, which are available online and in person, to try the special food offerings.
Eldredge said the park decided to sell tasting cards instead of having individual transactions for the food to simplify the process and encourage people to try different things.
“We want folks to experience culture," Eldredge said. "So buying one dish from France is not really like the experience we were going for.”
Three tasting cards are typically enough for a meal for one, Eldredge said.
“We try to get as close as possible to the ingredients that would be used."Executive Chef Mike Wedderburn
Executive Chef Mike Wedderburn said the food is made fresh every day, with a team behind the scenes making the ingredients that workers assemble at the stands.
Wedderburn said the team tries to make the food the way it would be made in the cultures from which it came.
“We try to get as close as possible to the ingredients that would be used,” Wedderburn said.
Wedderburn said the most popular dish is the paella, a Spanish dish with rice, saffron, vegetables, chicken and seafood. Unlike in previous years, the paella now has shrimp.
The park used to include food from India in the festival, but Eldredge said it was too difficult to store the food and get what was needed to make it. He said India still is represented in the festival through dance and decor.
Beyond the food
Throughout the festival, there are a variety of shows on the main stage behind the carousel, such as performances by a drumming group called the Pulse of the Grand Carnivale and an interactive dance production called Retrospect.
The performances feature dances from the cultures celebrated in the festival, according to Area Manager of Entertainment Johnathan Fehnel.
“It is so unique to see the different styles of dance that all of these wonderful countries that we celebrate here have,” Fehnel said.
There also are games that represent four of the countries: China, Germany, France and Italy. They require special tokens to play, which cost $15 for three plays, $25 for six plays and $75 for 20 plays. Every player is guaranteed a prize.
The festival has a parade at 9 p.m. every day, with floats representing each of the celebrated countries. Audience members are then invited into the parade route for a dance party, and the night ends with another dance number from the performers.
