Christmas carnivals in San Ysidro.

A Christmas carnival laid out for San Ysidro.

Picture the entrance first. A red-and-white balloon arch trimmed with candy canes, peppermint balloons and gingerbread figures marks the gate, and past it a row of striped booths runs along the edge of the field. Each booth holds a game with candy-cane trim and a prize table. After sundown the string lights carry the scene, which is why a late-afternoon start works well in December. The walk-in snow globe inflatable gives families a place to pose, and nothing falls inside it. The snow-flocked finish on trim and props is static.

On an open field such as Larsen Field, the booths can form a wide loop with the seven concessions (churros, pretzels, popcorn, cotton candy, nachos, snow cones and caramel apples) grouped on one side. Santa and Mrs. Claus take a corner of the loop where a line can form without blocking a game. A school yard or a corner lot asks for a tighter row, and that works just as well. The host handles tables, chairs, drinks, meals and any tent beyond our booths, and My Little Carnival brings the carnival and the people who run it.