I am writing to express my disappointment with this year’s Street Fair.

The decision to replace games and activities with a carnival was wrong-headed. It presented financial challenges to parents like me in an already difficult economy. I wanted to browse and shop the event, but had to bring my kids along, which meant spending $50 on non-locally-owned carnival rides rather than putting that $50 toward local businesses where I wanted to spend money, such as Oh Baby! and City Perk. Other Enumclaw parents and grandparents told me that they avoided the street fair altogether this year because they didn’t want to pay “carnival prices.”

Many of us really missed the small town quaintness of $2 cow train rides and $1 bouncy house or blow-up slides. I understand that city planners were hoping to capitalize on Creation Festival traffic by doing things differently this year, but I think that was a mistake. They gave visitors a carnival experience they could get in any mall parking lot, rather than the memorable charm of a small town Street Fair with ponies and tractor rides.

I hope the city will get it right next year. Be sure to remind them that what is great about Enumclaw is the small-town charm of family-friendly events like the Christmas parade, Fourth of July event and the Street Fair of previous years.

Cari Enticknap

Enumclaw