The smell of cotton candy and the whirr and carnival rides have filled the air behind St. Stephen Parish this week.

The annual St. Stephen Parish Spring Carnival, held between 6 p.m. and 11 p.m. June 14-16, was projected to draw thousands, said volunteer Suzy Maria.

"It's a pinnacle event. It's the social event of Kingsville," said volunteer Suzy Maria. Her husband, Neal Maria, with the Father's Club of St. Stephen, is a main coordinator of the carnival.

St. Stephen Parish's historical records show that a spring carnival was first held on the Bradshaw Road grounds in 1895. Since then, it's been an "on again, off again" event, Maria said.

The carnival benefits St. Stephen School, which educates pre-K to grade 8 students. It is also part of a major anniversary celebration for the church, which was first founded in 1863, and will commemorate 150 years in 2013.

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