Carny Town - Traveling Carnivals, Fairs and Festivals

People and Places 2003

Link: Their jobs are going places.

Joella McNamara has worked as a cook at one of Buddy G's food stands, part of Smokey's Greater Shows, for the past 8 years.

My float: True love

Link: My float: True love.

His screams escalated but were quickly drowned out by the cacophony of Sideshow Alley as the carnies hawked their gut-churning rides, shonky games and mostly empty but wildly expensive showbags.

Five minutes later, LC zeroes in on this innocent looking basket containing inflatable hammers...

Larry Davis, 72, retired owner of Carnival Time Shows

Link: Larry Davis, 72, retired owner of Carnival Time Shows.

Showman Larry Davis, 72, a carnival industry legend who built a small empire from humble beginnings, passed away April 7.

Davis, 72, who came to own Carnival Time Shows, one of the largest carnival companies in the U.S., died April 7 after a long battle with cancer. His Southern California-based carnival was a staple at such events as the California State Fair in Sacramento.

A packed funeral mass was held for Davis on April 13 at St. Louis Catholic Church in Cathedral City, Calif.

The funeral was attended by showfolk, many of them rivals, and their fair industry counterparts from across the continent.

“He was ready for heaven,” said his daughter, Debby Helm, who operates Helm & Son Amusements of Rubidoux, Calif., with husband Dave and son Davey Helm.

Debby Helm said her father endured a long, hard fight, noting that his defibrillator had gone off 26 times on two different occasions. “He had been battling cancer, radiation and heart problems for two years,” she said.

Sources close to Davis told AB that he faced the end assertively and with a bravery many wouldn’t understand if they didn’t know him.

Davis and his wife, JoAnn were married for 54 years.

New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets

Link: New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets.

County Fairs 2006.

Directory of County Fairs in New York State

Murphy Bros. carnival has garden spot in China

Link: Murphy Bros. carnival has garden spot in China.

Murphy Bros. Exposition of Tulsa, Okla., is set to begin a six-month run in the city of Shenyang in Manchuria on May 1, according to Jerry Murphy, whose carnival has already played two big spots in China -- Shanghai, and Nanning.

“The jump from Nanning in the south of China to Shenyang was 2,300 kilometers, or the equivalent of going from Chicago to Sacramento,” said Murphy, adding that all his jumps have been about 2,000 miles.

He said the fuel prices are about the same as in the U.S., and he uses hired Chinese drivers and about 70 Chinese trucks. “We pay the drivers a certain amount per mile and it costs a lot of money,” he said. “As in the U.S., the fuel issue is one of the biggest problems facing our industry. There have always been and always will be problems, but this directly affects the bottom line, with generators and stuff like that.

“About the only difficulties we have encountered were one or two blowouts. The highways are better, and toll roads took us through six provinces. We had to have clearance before we left so we wouldn’t be stopped in each one. We just zipped through.”

Murphy said Shenyang is close to Vietnam and Inner Mongolia. It is a city of 7.5 million people, and the carnival will be set up next to where the World Botanical Exposition will be held for the next six months.

“We’ll have a soft opening from May 1 to May 15, meaning some equipment will not be up and running,” Murphy said. “We’re on a miserable lot but they’re putting bricks around the rides to kind of tile it to make it easier for the public to walk on. They thought they could put the bricks down first, but they found out differently when those trucks started going over them.”

Murphy has been booked by a company known as Dragon Star out of Hong Kong. “We have a minimum guarantee against a percentage of the gross, whichever is higher,” he said. “Now that I’m being ribbed as being the Manchurian Candidate, I can state I have been involved in the longest jumps of my career -- and for any carnival.”

Murphy said business has been “OK, not phenomenal, but it has the opportunity to be phenomenal.

Yuma County Fair in comfort 'zona

Link: Yuma County Fair in comfort 'zona.

The 54th annual Yuma (Ariz.) County Fair turned out to be one of the best, drawing attendance of slightly more then 228,000 for its April 4-9 run, according to Kelly Watkins, who has been general manager/CEO of the fair for 28 years.

“Our numbers were just about the same this year, slightly higher,” Watkins said. On the other hand, Brown’s Amusements, owned by Danny Brown of Mesa, Ariz., had a 10% increase in its midway grosses. After the fair, Watkins presented Brown with the 2005 Arizona Fair Assn.’s Associate Member of the Year Award. It was presented for his outstanding dedication and service to the association.

“This was their fifth year with us, and they have four years left on their current contract. They brought in 45 rides and did a great job,” Watkins said.

Welcome To Shamrock Shows

Link: Welcome To Shamrock Shows.

All About The Rides! The Games! The Food! The Fun!

Stampede Midway at night

Stampede Midway at night, originally uploaded by anyram.

Butler Amusements

Link: Butler Amusements.

For more than thirty-five years Butler Amusements Inc. has served more fairs, celebrations, festivals and fundraising events than any other carnival in the West. With the greatest array of rides, attractions, games and food concessions in the industry today, Butler Amusements can provide a complete carnival for any event of any size.

Webshots - Images of Conklin Shows

Link: Webshots - Images of Conklin Shows.

Conklin Shows

Mostly pics I took in Edmonton throughout the 80's and some newer stuff too.