VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — As preparations ramp up for a busy weekend with the Jackalope extreme sports festival at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, questions linger at Mount Trashmore, where the summer carnival remains closed. As of Thursday, the rides were still in place.
Joel Cadwell, the owner of National Event Management, which runs the carnival, stated, “Right now, we’re just in a light pack-up mode. We still have some hope that we might get some reprieve on the decision to close us down.”
After being open for three days, Virginia Beach city leaders announced its closure due to a lack of security personnel.
Cadwell says he and his crew of about 150 were blindsided by the city’s abrupt decision to shut down the event.
WTKR News 3 reporter Angela Bohon asked Cadwell if any city leadership had reached out to him regarding the closure. “Absolutely not…,” he replied, adding, “Never was I asked to come to the table and explain our side of it.”
This closure follows a tragic incident last year when a 15-year-old was shot and killed in the carnival’s parking lot.
Cadwell emphasized that throughout the planning process over the past year, police and sheriff representatives were present in meetings. “No one ever indicated that there was going to be an issue with staffing,” he said.
Since the closure, Cadwell reported receiving multiple offers from private security companies hoping to revive the carnival, but a statement from City Manager Patrick Duhaney explained the city’s position:
The carnival experience at Mt. Trashmore is enjoyed by residents and visitors alike, so it is understandable that our community may feel disappointed in this cancellation, as am I. However, public safety is paramount.
Each permitted event in our city has a robust security plan that undergoes a thorough review process and takes into consideration past years' experience, growing attendance and/or footprint, and safety needs in order to prepare, prevent and respond to needs for this year. An event of this size and scope requires public law enforcement officers with the authority to enforce laws, whereas private security alone has limited powers. After consulting with VBSO and VBPD, I determined that canceling the carnival was needed due to unanticipated City staffing gaps.
Tuesday, Bohon asked Mayor Bobby Dyer about the decision. Click here for that story.
A spokesperson for the Virginia Beach Police Department explained that the carnival required off-duty officers for security. He said it's an extra duty that officers can choose to do, but not enough signed up to work it. As for fcoverage at the Oceanfront, he said on-duty officers are assigned.
When asked if the carnival would consider returning after this sudden closure, Cadwell responded with a laugh, “Would you? That’s my answer.” He expressed gratitude to patrons, acknowledging the effort put into the event for the past 35 years: “After all the flash and the lights, and the transactions, and the stuffed animals… it all comes down to that, to our patrons. And I just want to thank them from the bottom of our hearts because it looks like this might be the last one.”
Cadwell says he is still seeking further information from the City and is working with a lawyer.
