‘We're not going to give in': Carnivals in NJ adapt to safety concerns

South Jersey carnival organizers are making safety adjustments and shortening schedules this spring to prevent the disruptions that have plagued past events.

In Camden County, Bellmawr’s St. Joachim Carnival wrapped up after four nights this year, ending Thursday instead of its usual Saturday finale. Organizers say the change was made to avoid the kind of issues that surfaced last year.

“Last year on Saturday night we had a bit of an issue — had a bunch of teens come out and cause some trouble,” volunteer Martin Waters said. “This year to react to that we decided to not have it Saturday night in coordination with the police department in town and it worked out for the better. That way the community still gets their party, has a good time, but everyone is safe.”

Beyond shortening the schedule, organizers added other precautions.

Waters said they restricted face coverings, installed fencing and closely monitored crowd size. On the final night, organizers chose to shut the carnival down about an hour early when they saw a large crowd forming.

“Decided you know what — before something could happen, let’s cut it short and end on a positive note,” Waters said.

Bellmawr is not alone. Other South Jersey events are taking similar steps.

The St. Mary of the Lakes Carnival in Medford is set to begin Monday. Organizers there had already implemented safety changes last year and are increasing measures again following a recent incident in Burlington County.

Police in Maple Shade shared video showing what they described as a group of teens causing chaos at the Maple Shade Youth Football Carnival. The nonprofit shut down the event Friday and canceled its final night Saturday.

“You want to establish controls so people can be safe,” Corey Jones said, a retired police sergeant and public safety expert.

Jones said social media may be contributing to large, unruly gatherings at community events but emphasized that carnivals can continue safely with the right planning.

“You have to have channelization, single point in, single point out. Have parental supervision. Wristbands, no backpacks, obviously no weapons,” Jones said. “When people are acting out of control, you have to nip that in the bud right in the beginning.”

Despite the shortened schedule and early closure, organizers in Bellmawr said the carnival was still a successful fundraiser and remain committed to continuing the tradition.

“We’re not going to give in,” Waters said. “The communities have to keep doing this and if we stop doing it, they win. Our communities need to benefit from it and that’s why our parishes are here to do that.”

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication.