We love celebrating our Carousel’s birthday! The Carousel Birthday Party takes place on a Saturday in mid-July every year. We always have a wonderful turnout and enjoy a festive atmosphere with activities and giveaways.
For 2025:
The City of Kingsport would like to invite the community to celebrate a decade of joy, artistry and hometown pride at the Kingsport Carousel’s 10th birthday bash next month.
The birthday is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 19 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Kingsport Carousel (350 Clinchfield Street). The event is free and open to the public.
Enjoy free carousel rides all day (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) and a variety of activities, including crafts, games and other birthday surprises. Visitors can also witness the recently complete mural in the hallway leading to the carousel and check out the new merchandise available for purchase in the gift shop.
“The Kingsport Carousel is one of the most magical places in our community and we’re excited to invite everyone down to help us celebrate its 10th birthday,” said Special Event and Cultural Arts Manager Kristie Leonard. “Whether you’ve ridden the carousel once or 100 times, we welcome you to come down and help us celebrate this special event.”
The Kingsport Carousel first opened to the public in July of 2015 following a six-year journey, going from one man’s visionary idea to a magical reality.
The project began as a dream of the late Gale Joh, who grew up in Binghamton, N.Y. — the “Carousel Capital of the World.” After Joh died in 2010, his widow, former Alderwoman Valerie Joh and local volunteer Reggie Martin ramped up the project and shepherded it forward.
More than 300 volunteers, woodcarvers and painters spent five years and countless hours carving and painting animals, refurbishing a donated 1956 vintage Herschell carousel frame from the Beardsley Zoo of Bridgeport, Conn., and drafting plans to open a traditional carousel adjacent to the Kingsport Farmers Market.
The carousel features 32 wooden riding animals and two chariots, 24 rounding boards depicting notable sites within the city and 24 hand-carved “sweep” animals around the top of the ride
Since opening in July 2015, the carousel has hosted more than 500,000 riders.
The carousel is open to the public year-round and all rides are $1. The carousel is currently open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sundays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
