Although though the carnival will not be coming to the Strawberry Festival this year, there will be other activities for kids and their families on Friday and Saturday.

Since the final word about the carnival came on Monday, the chamber and other members of the community have been working to create options for kids and families.

On Friday afternoon, Vashon Kids, VYFS’s childcare program, will host games and snacks from 3 to 5 p.m.  behind the chamber of commerce office. All children are welcome for the free activities.

On Saturday in the same area, a climbing wall, bounce houses, inflatable slide and obstacle course will be set up to create a Festival Fun Zone, Jim Marsh, the chamber’s executive director said earlier today.

Marsh said he began working on the securing other family friendly events on Monday, when it became clear the carnival would not be coming after all.

Saturday’s events will be available with wrist bands allowing  for unlimited use of the climbing wall and inflatables. As of Wednesday morning, Marsh said he had not yet determined a price, but said they would be inexpensive. The food bank is also handing out free carnival tickets for those registered with the food bank today (Wednesday) between 3 and 7 p.m.

Dalinda Vivero at VYFS said normally Vashon Kids takes a fieldtrip to the carnival the Friday afternoon of Strawberry Festival, and when they learned there would be no carnival this year they decided to put on what Vivero called a “homegrown carnival.”

Vivero said kids could expect games, hair braiding, balloons and water balloons, popcorn and prizes. The Little House has already donated helium for the balloons.

“We’re going to do what we have with the resources we have on-island,” she said.