Board approves carnival at Old Page site; operator to pay share of ride revenue, carry insurance

The Gloucester County Board of Supervisors on a unanimous voice vote approved a contract allowing a private carnival operator to stage a multi‑week event at the Old Page site.

The carnival will be run by National Events Management Corporation over two weekends in June, with an option to add Thursday nights. The company will provide rides, games, food vendors, traffic management and permitting; the county would receive 10% of ride revenue after expenses, estimated by staff at roughly $8,000–$10,000 depending on weather and attendance.

County parks director Matt Barber said the vendor would be responsible for “all permitting, licensing, traffic management, and staffing,” and that the company had provided services for the Virginia Beach Boardwalk and the Suffolk Peanut Festival. Barber told the board the company would “return the grounds fully back to like it is” and would reseed and restore areas disrupted by the event.

County staff said the agreement requires the operator to handle amusement permits and to ensure food vendors comply with meal tax and vendor registration. County staff also told the board the sheriff’s office would be consulted about traffic and public safety plans and that any additional deputy expenses required for the event would be paid by the vendor.

County staff also said the initial draft of the contract had required the county to indemnify the vendor; that clause was removed during legal review. A staff member said the current contract requires the operator to indemnify the county and to carry required insurance. “That was an immediate nonstarter,” the staff member said of the original indemnity language.

Supervisor questions centered on parking capacity and cleanup responsibilities. Barber acknowledged parking was a “concern slightly,” and said staff had discussed the possibility of satellite lots and would coordinate with the sheriff’s office on traffic control. He said the vendor had agreed contractually to return the grounds to their original condition.

The board moved and seconded the resolution and then voted. During the roll call supervisors answered “yes” in sequence; the chair declared “Motion carries.”

The contract signed by the county attorney’s office remains the operative document for insurance, indemnity and cleanup obligations. Staff recommended the board approve the agreement to add a revenue‑generating event at the county‑maintained Old Page site while minimizing direct county expenditures.

Votes at a glance: the resolution to authorize the carnival agreement was approved in a board roll call; the motion carried.

The carnival will proceed only after the vendor files required amusement and vendor permits and after the county and the sheriff’s office approve any traffic or public safety plans.

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