Middlesex Boro No Longer Hosting Carnival After Crowd Size Problems

MIDDLESEX BOROUGH, NJ — The Middlesex borough Fire Department just announced they will be canceling their popular carnival, held annually every spring on the grounds of Middlesex High School.

The fire company announced the news Friday on their Facebook page.

The fire department said unprecedented crowd size was one of the reasons why they are not putting on the carnival this year, which they said had become "increasingly difficult to host."

"It is with deep emotion that we announce the cancellation of our beloved Middlesex Fire Department annual carnival, which has been a cherished tradition in our town for the past 50 years," the fire company said.

They cited issues stemming from "unprecedented attendance, public security concerns from attendance that exceeds our infrastructure and rising costs associated with heightened security requirements."

Last April, the town of Middlesex had to call in NJ State Police to disperse crowds after an estimated 5,000 to 6,000 people showed up at the carnival. There were also reports of a shooting at the carnival, but those reports were false and unfounded, said police. But there were reports of "minor disturbances that posed a threat to public safety," said police at the time.

Previously on Patch: 'Carnival Link-Up' Shuts Down Middlesex Carnival, State Police Called (April 30, 2024)

Someone broadcast word of the carnival on TikTok and Instagram, calling it "Carnival Link-up." This is the same phrase used in the "Beach Link-up" mass gatherings advertised on social media in June 2022, telling teens from across New Jersey to come to Long Branch, Point Pleasant and Seaside Heights.

That year, approximately 5,000 young people descended on Pier Village in Long Branch, where bloody fistfights broke out and drag racing occurred. People also smashed in the windows of a Long Branch Police car, and danced on top of it. Young people were told to "BWOW bring your own weed, BWOL bring your own liquor."