Last Wednesday, May 1, the second annual CarniVike opened its second annual spring blow-off-steam event to the public, and more than 1,000 guests came to the Cleveland State University (CSU) campus for an afternoon of fun and games.

CarniVike organizer Tyisha Blade, who is earning her Master of Fine Arts in CSU's creative writing program, says even University president Dr. Laura Bloomberg made an appearance—which thrilled the students in attendance.

Blade says Bloomberg emailed her after the event: “I’m so glad we met at CarniVike. Great job pulling this all together. Wow, what a celebration!”

CarniVike organizer Tyisha Blade with CSU University president Dr. Laura Bloomberg“Some standout moments included the performances by the stilt walkers and the Shaw High School Cardinal Band,” says Blade, “which continues to generate rave reviews from attendees. CarniVike was an absolute success.”

Despite the thrill, Blade adds she was a bit nervous that the CarniVike vision would not be all she and her team had worked to create. “I experienced a brief moment of nerves [just before it started], but as the crowd started streaming in, those butterflies disappeared,” she recalls. “It was heartening to witness such diverse community engagement—with attendees ranging from toddlers to college students, working-class individuals, and senior citizens—all coming together to revel in the festivities.”

Blade says she was especially thrilled when she says the lawn outside the university’s Music and Communications Building transform into a carnival.

“The anticipation as Executive Evens and Entertainment and Ohio Mobile Gaming set up the inflatables and carnival games was quite an experience, and seeing the event come to life with such passion and energy was truly remarkable,” she says. “Once our sponsors arrived and the tables were set up, the excitement was tangible.”

Sponsors included FreshWater Cleveland, Cleveland Asian Festival, the National Congress of Black Women, Cleveland Public Library, and Food Strong—with the Asian Festival team bringing their mascot to the grounds.

Blade says she is grateful to interns Sydney Schlabs and Morgan Gillie, all of the sponsors, and CSU’s Division of Hospitality Services (DHS), that helped make the afternoon a success. She says they are already planning to hold CarniVike again next year.

DHS gave Blade huge accolades for organizing such a successful event. “They were thrilled that we had such an amazing turnout,” Blade says. “Even though we were all working, we still had so much fun.”

She cites an email from Nicholas Vande Velde, CSU associate vice president of hospitality services: “Amazing job on the event. You set a great bar for future leaders to achieve.,” while Jamie Finlin, director of marketing hospitality, texted “It was amazing! I really enjoyed myself!”