PORTLAND, Maine — Through its Carnaval Cares initiative, Carnaval Maine announced Tuesday it will offer 1,000 free tickets to local kids and families who might not otherwise get the chance to experience the winter celebration.
The tickets will be given out through the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southern Maine and United Way of Southern Maine, a news release from Carnaval Maine said Tuesday.
“Carnaval Cares will provide free access for underserved kids and their families to attend a cherished community event,” Brian Corcoran, CEO of Shamrock Sports & Entertainment, which produces Carnaval Maine, said in the release. “With support of our corporate partners, we are providing an opportunity to experience live music, theater and comedy, and other performance acts that can spark an interest, ignite a passion, and shape a future without limits.”
The winter festival will be held from March 8 to March 12 at the DiMillo's On the Water restaurant on Commercial Street in Portland. It will include live music and ice sculpture demonstrations, theater, comedy, award-winning chefs, and brewers under a 400-plus-person illuminated igloo for Bites & Brews. There will also be frozen selfie stations and Maine mascots.
Popular Maine band The Mallet Brothers will kick off the winter celebration Thursday followed by other headliners Parmalee, Michael Ray, and Griffin William Sherry on subsequent evenings.
Carnaval Maine announced they have set a goal to raise $25,000 from the winter festival to benefit both the Maine Academy of Modern Music and WinterKids.
For the first time, kids 10 years old and under will get in for free.
Back in December 2022, Carnaval Maine announced a new location and dates for the 2023 celebration.
To find out more about Winter Carnaval click here.