Clown Town approaches (May 16 & 17): Whether rain or snow or heat, clowns deliver carnival

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May 8, 2008

By Judy Wakefield

Four years ago this weekend, the Merrimack River overflowed its banks and Andover suffered its worst flooding in years.

To add insult to property damage, Clown Town, arguably the most popular event in town, was questionable.

Always held in mid-May, Clown Town is such an attraction that town officials didn't know what they would do if the event was canceled, one organizer remembered.

"I remember people from the town saying they would not be able to go home if it had to be canceled. Their families would be that upset," said Linda Cummings of Andover, a member of the Andona Society, which runs the event.

For more than 50 consecutive years, Andona has held the event downtown. Flooding did not stop the downtown carnival of games and amusement park rides from setting up in 2004. Booths were moved off the very wet grass and onto The Park's paved area, Cummings said.

"Clown Town is a huge event in town. Everyone loves it," she said. "I remember we donated a little bit of money to pay for grass seed that year, but the event was held. We have to ... people in town love Clown Town."

It actually snowed in 2002, and scorching temperatures another year made clown costumes unusually hot and heavy to wear. But the crowds came and The Park became the crazy community known as Clown Town. It's held rain or shine or snow or heat, and Cummings said volunteers just try to work with Mother Nature.

"You have to just go with it," she said of the unpredictable weather. "People of all ages really look forward to it."

The event is Andona's biggest fundraiser with profits allocated to a variety of youth and education programs in town, including $10,000 in scholarships for Andover teens. Andona also gave $5,000 to Doherty Middle School last year, teaming with the Andover Coalition for Education and Doherty parents to make it possible for the school to build its own engineering lab, like the one piloted at West Middle School.

Other Andona-funded programs include museum passes and puppets for the children's room at Memorial Hall Library. Money from Andona has paid for a sensory garden for special needs children at Shawsheen School and a literacy program at South Elementary School.

Rain dampened last year's Clown Town, and just $8,000 was raised. That's a far cry from the $25,000 to $30,000 that Clown Town usually rakes in when the weather cooperates.

Cummings is obviously hoping for good weather this year. After all, nobody likes tears on a clown.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

CLOWN TOWN

Friday, May 16, 6 to 10 p.m.

Saturday, May 17, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Park, corner of Chestnut and Bartlet streets

Free admission

ANDONA SOCIETY NEEDS NEW MEMBERS

Six-year commitment

Volunteer help at fundraisers, including Clown Town

Two Q&A sessions

r Wednesday, May 21, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.