Community Corner

Port Chester Residents Enjoy Food and Fun at Corpus Christi Carnival

Local residents turned out in hundreds at this year's fair at Corpus Christi, looking to take advantage of the live music, rides, and various food and drink options.

Once a year in Port Chester, you can shoot a cross-bow, ride the Dragon Wagon, and enjoy some fried dough all in one place. That place, as you may have guessed, is the carnival at Corpus Christi, which hundreds of Port Chester residents came out to all week long.

The carnival, which has been on from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. since Monday and will end Saturday night, offers families and individuals of all ages everything from live music, to rides, to every kind of food and beverage conceivable. Between carnival favorites like corn on the cob and sausage and peppers, to the more local flavors of mozzarepa -- a combination of sweet ground corn and melted mozzarella cheese, tacos, and fried oreos, fair goers had a wide range of culinary options this week.

One dish that had everyone coming back for seconds and thirds was the "pizza frita," fried dough in the shape of a pizza with the option of cheese, gravy, or the fan favorite confection sugar as a topping.

Find out what's happening in Port Chesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"This is the biggest attraction here," said Joe Casino, working at the pizza frita stand at the Corpus Christi Carnival Friday night. "It always does the best. Rain or shine people come to buy them. I've seen people come to the carnival just to buy a stack of five or ten."

To wash down that pizza frita, fair goers were also presented with number of options, from lemonade, to wine with peaches, to the always popular pina coladas.

Find out what's happening in Port Chesterwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

After enjoying some top notch carnival food, locals put their skills to the test in various games and competitions, which again included fair favorites like basketball competitions and dart throwing, and some others – like crossbow shooting – slightly more daring.

"It was kind of fun," said Port Chester resident Marie Jallow after trying her hand at the crossbow stand. "I've never really done anything like that before. I didn't win a prize but I was close."

Some of the more popular attractions this week were the "Casino Tents," where crowd members could try their luck at a number of roulette style games, all while being reassured by the fact that all proceeds earned by the stands are going to the church and school of Corpus Christi.

"Most people that come here are part of the parish," said Sergio Norero, volunteer at one of the Casino Tents Friday night. "They know they can have a good time and at the same time help out the church and the school."

Most importantly, the carnival served as an opportunity for community and family members to come together in one place, and relive some everyone's fondest memories of childhood.

"We brought the family for some good food and to play some games with the kids," said Jason Landry. "My little boy loves this. My wife is from Port Chester too so she gets to see a lot of her old friends."

For those new to Port Chester and the Corpus Christi carnival, this week's fair is the perfect introduction to a community known for its flavors and festivals.

"It's our first year here," said Tom Vargas, whose family has just recently moved to Port Chester from Colorado. "We have a baby girl and she's having a great time walking around. It's a very fun carnival."


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here