A celebration of a church community and a celebration of the East Haven community-that's the goal of two East Haven summer traditions, the St. Clare Church Carnival and the Our Lady of Pompeii Carnival, running this weekend and next weekend, respectively.

Already underway, the St. Clare Church Carnival runs through Saturday, July 20. The event is held on parish grounds at 234 Coe Avenue. The St. Clare Carnival opens at 5 p.m. each night and features food, entertainment, rides, games, and raffles. Wrist bands are available for $20 for all-night ride admission.

The 57th annual Our Lady of Pompeii Carnival runs from Tuesday, July 23 through Saturday, July 27 from 5:30 to

11 p.m. each night at the church at 355 Foxon Road. As always, the carnival will feature food, rides, and games for all ages. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are wrist band nights, during which a $25 wrist band enables purchasers to enjoy the rides as many times as they want in that one night.

"The carnival celebrates the Pompeii spirit; a spirit of joy, friendships, and relationships," said Father John Lavorgna, pastor of the church. "It celebrates and gathers the community and it brings back generations of families."

Lavorgna said one reason why the carnival is so successful year after year is that many of the church's parishioners are involved in the event and they continue their involvement for many years.

Michael Strianese, who serves as carnival chairman, has been a carnival volunteer for about 30 years. Strianese, along with others associated with the carnival, said the event is known for its fried dough. The church uses four deep fryers to prepare the dough.

"A couple of years ago, it rained, and people were still coming in for it in the rain," said Strianese of the fried dough.