Mayor Cancels Neshaminy Mall Spring Carnival
Bensalem Township has decided to discontinue its longstanding tradition of hosting the Neshaminy Mall Spring Carnival due to persistent issues with disruptive behavior, particularly involving teenagers, which led to increased police interventions last year.
Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo, after consulting with various departments including the police force and building and planning departments, opted not to renew the carnival’s permit, ending what had become a staple every May in the Neshaminy Mall parking lot for over a decade
The carnival operators, Dreamland Amusements, over the last couple of years, have had issues with unruly teens and other public safety issues but the situation came to a head last year when the issue escalated dramatically on opening night, prompting multiple police responses to disturbances both within and around the fairgrounds.
Reports indicated that numerous juveniles, many from outside Bensalem, were involved in fights and disruptive behavior, with one juvenile falling victim to robbery and assault near the carnival site.
As a result, police were forced to shut down the carnival prematurely on its inaugural evening.
Following this incident, Bensalem police, in collaboration with carnival management, introduced new regulations aimed at mitigating future issues. These measures included implementing a single entry point, mandatory ID checks for entry, and requiring minors to be accompanied by an adult aged 21 or older.
Dreamland Amusement representatives had warned that if the modifications did not work, the carnival would be shut down permanently.
Mayor DiGirolamo was quoted as saying:
“We’ve had problems there. It was out of hand. The police were saying we can’t handle this. The neighbors were complaining,” “We decided we don’t need that thing here anymore.”
This year came with an offer from Dreamland Amusements, to enhance security measures, however, the decision was made to terminate the carnival indefinitely in the interest of public safety.