The Deserted Carnival

It was nearing sundown and we decided to take a walk in our new Italian town. We picked a route we had walked before and set out as the light was shifting towards dusk. The street had a few cars, but the sidewalk and bike path were nearly empty. As we walked, we admired the Italian casas until we saw this glowing sign above the street “Luna Park ➡️”. As we looked in the direction of the arrow, we noticed more brightly lit decorations hanging from the trees above the side street. We looked at each other briefly, nodded, and walked down the new street.

In the distance, past the lighted signs, we saw the old stones. We love old stones and as we drew near, we could see a bridge, a moat, and a fortress wall. The plaque inside the wall named it as the ancient Farnese Fortress and referenced dragons, lancers, and cavalry. But beyond the stonewall the smell of food and flashing lights begged us to continue walking forward, so we stepped into the mystical Luna park.

On the surface it looked like a carnival. Food stands were making popcorn and snacks. Super slides, bumper cars, and the Ferris wheel were lit up too; except there were no riders. Ticket booths were erected but no one was selling them. Where WAS everyone?

Walking further into the park, we heard a ride start up, but the seats on that ride were empty. The fun house had no laughter, the carousel had no music, and the Free Fall had no screams. The blue shades of the darkening sky had shifted to purple, but in fascination we walked onward. This was the weirdest amusement park we had ever seen.

The rides were not new, but they weren’t in disrepair either. There were a few dated buildings around the park that looked permanent and were boarded up. The buildings without boards on the windows were darkened inside and looked like they hadn’t been used in years.

As we looked around the park we wondered why there were no children, no parents, and such few “workers”. The lights of the carnival should have drawn them in like they did for us. Could anyone else see this carnival? Could anyone else see the lighted, but deserted amusement park? Did we just walk through...

Later, we found out it was the opening day of a month-long carnival in Parma, Italy.

THE TWILIGHT ZONE? 🎶