Thousands of people turned out on a beautiful sunny day yesterday to enjoy the Punahou Carnival in Makiki.

There wasn't a parking place in sight. People with funny hats and balloons, kids in strollers munching candied apples and corn on the cob and smearing chocolate across their mouths, and folks with canes in Punahou caps streamed in and out of the school's campus gate.

They sat on the grass munching pizza, cheeseburgers, cotton candy, fried noodles and slurping lemonade and slushies.

Above the din of the madding crowd, ear-splitting screams rang out from brave souls who had taken a chance on death-defying rides like Pharaoh's Fury and the tilt-a-whirl.

The economy may be lousy, but it appeared to have no noticeable effect on the enthusiasm for the annual festival.

"I think that people are here to have a good time," said Amanda Scott, a junior working in the sound booth. She's been at Punahou since the sixth grade. "You can spend $5 or $100. And it goes for our scholarships to help people who are hurting during this time."

Scott said attendance seemed as good as ever this year, probably because "the weather's great."

And talk about chowing down: Harry Potter and the goblet of saimin; Betty Boop's bean soup; Indiana Cones; Mamma Mia Malasadas; Yoda's sodas; gyros, and then there was the Chicken Little Grill, which appeared to be mobbed.

Lori Kim, mom of Punahou junior Matthew, served as co-chicken chair. As she hustled around filling orders in an absurd, very large chicken hat, one got the definite impression that she wasn't into the job for the title or the uniform.

"We ran out yesterday, 3,000 orders," she said. "We should sell another 3,000 today. We'll run out again tonight."

On Friday night with no chicken left, the people in the booth performed a chicken dance to entertain the crowd.

"It's been wonderful," she said.

In the science hall, a silent auction featured President Obama memorabilia brought back from Washington, D.C., when the Punahou band took part in the inauguration festivities.

There were Obama bobblehead dolls, action figures, baseball caps with the presidential seal, and posters.

Band booster Bobbie Pang, mother of junior Alexander who plays alto sax, had a hand in bringing back some of the Obama omiyage.

"I was on Pennsylvania Avenue to see the band," she said. "I got up at 3:15."

She, too, said attendance was as robust as ever, mainly because it was the first time in years the festival had no rain.

"People are in a good mood over here," she said.

Alexander, when asked to reflect on his experience at the inauguration, appeared thoughtful. Then he said, "The word cold definitely comes to mind."

What else?

"When we got there," he said, "and looked out the bus windows, we knew we were involved in something that involved millions of people."

He looked around for a moment and said, "It's definitely something to be proud of. Everyone's very excited this year."