I've been reading Douglas Cole's outstanding adventure,
Hall of Judgment, and his chapter on local festivals got me thinking about possibilities for younger characters in these sorts of cultural events. There's plenty of room at festivals, carnivals, and circuses for challenges and competitions that don't put the character's life on the line. They could also be a good backdrop for other sorts of hijinx. Big crowds and loud festivities keep the adults occupied while the kids try to outsmart someone, solve a mystery, humiliate a bully, score some cash, unmask a villain, etc. For a darker flavor, you could take inspiration from Bradbury's
Something Wicked This Way Comes.