Carny Town - Traveling Carnivals, Fairs and Festivals

Fewer people engage in fair play this year - Phoenix Business Journal:

Link: Fewer people engage in fair play this year - Phoenix Business Journal:.

As Valley residents hold tight to their dwindling cash, local entertainment venues are becoming more creative in offering discounts to draw crowds.

Florida State Fair Plans More Days, Facility Upgrade

Link: Florida State Fair Plans More Days, Facility Upgrade.

The Florida State Fair Authority wants six more days of rides, fried food on a stick, roller derby, Elvis impersonators and livestock exhibits.

The authority voted this month to extend the annual fair from 12 to 18 days, starting in 2010, to finance $70 million in upgrades at the state fairgrounds in East Tampa.

Those improvements include building a 90,000-square-foot addition to the Expo Hall, gutting and rehabbing the existing 1976 hall, moving lakes, adding a waterfall and expanding the midway by at least 50 percent. Executive Director Chuck Pesano said the fair authority also wants to build a 200-unit RV park, add hotels and rework the entrance road from Interstate 4. But the fair, which receives no state or county subsidies, needs greater attendance to bring in enough revenue to finance the 15-year improvement plan.

With its current schedule, the fair cannot compete with fairs that stretch over 18 days.

"For all the work we do, why not have more time to enjoy it?" Pesano said.

Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin White, who sits on the State Fair Authority, said he can't see a reason not to extend the fair.

Calendar of Events - newsjournalonline.com

Link: Calendar of Events - newsjournalonline.com.

Country stars Emerson Drive, Darryl Worley, Jake Owen and Heidi Newfield will perform at this year's Volusia County Fair and Youth Show.

The fair opened Thursday and continues through Nov. 9 at the Volusia County Fairgrounds, S.R. 44 just east of Interstate 4. Fair times are:

· 4 p.m. until the midway closes today, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Nov. 7

· Noon until midway closes Saturday, Sunday and Nov. 8

· 2 p.m. until midway closes Tuesday; and noon to 9 p.m. Nov. 9.

The midway closes at approximately midnight all days except 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 9 p.m. the final Sunday.

Grab your peanuts, it's festival time! | Dothan Eagle

Link: Grab your peanuts, it's festival time! | Dothan Eagle.

When the ferris wheel starts peeking above the National Peanut Festival Fairgrounds fence and the yellow and purple flags start waving high in the air, people in Dothan know what’s up.

It’s festival time.

Festival officials said they had little time Thursday to talk to media about this year’s events, but some early ticket buyers were too anxious not to speak.

“It’s been 47 years since I’ve been coming. My daughter is a presidential scholar at Fort Valley State University (Georgia) and they had a game but nothing, I mean nothing, takes precedence to the festival,” said Edison, Ga., resident Malissa Adair.

“We got a fair budget we make every year, because we’ve got to be here.”

Some other veteran fair-goers said they were looking forward to traditional happenings like the contests, rides and food.

Marketing coordinator Patti McClain of North American Midway Entertainment, the company in charge of the midway, said there’s also some newness to this year’s show.

“The coolest part is Kiddie Land, which has 14 rides that are made just for children. It was exciting to bring this to Dothan for the first time,” she said.

“The National Peanut Festival is one of the best fairs in the country and we try to bring our carnival, our rides, our uniqueness to your festival.”

blog o' beth: The Texas State Fair

Link: blog o' beth: The Texas State Fair.

The Texas State Fair is what a fair should be. It is large, it is filled with fried foods, silly dog shows, barnyard animals and enough carnies to cause a year of nightmares. I have never attended a state fair as glorious as the one in Texas. In celebration of our anniversary we packed up the kids and spent the whole day at the fair.

The Pueblo Chieftain :: Fair makes less money, eyes more days

Link: The Pueblo Chieftain :: Fair makes less money, eyes more days.

This year's Colorado State Fair made $187,000 less than the previous expo, and now staff and board members are pondering whether to extend the event an extra weekend to increase revenue.

The 11-day Fair made $409,802, after expenses, according to an income statement released at the Fair board of authority's monthly meeting, hosted here Wednesday at the Colorado Department of Agriculture.

The 2007 Fair grossed $597,450.

Coastal Carolina Fair Making Sure Rides Will be Safe|ABC News 4

Link: Coastal Carolina Fair Making Sure Rides Will be Safe|ABC News 4.

he Coastal Carolina Fair opens their gates in Ladson at 3 p.m. on Thursday. They will have plenty of entertainment, food and rides at the fair. Making sure those rides are safe is important to fair officials, especially after a carnival worker was killed in an accident at the state fair in Columbia on October 19th.

"We work with three groups of people to ensure that these rides are safe. The first group is the state of South Carolina’s inspection system, the second being the carnival’s inspectors and the third is an independent inspector to look over these rides for us," said Joe Bolchoz, public relations chairman with the fair.

Briefs: Hillsborough County fair will open at new location - St. Petersburg Times

Link: Briefs: Hillsborough County fair will open at new location - St. Petersburg Times.

County fair opening at its new location

The Hillsborough County Fair kicks off Wednesday at its new location in Valrico, bringing carnival rides, livestock exhibitions, entertainment, food and other fun.

The fair was a roving event spread out over different venues for several years, but last year secured land at the corner of State Road 60 and Sydney Washer Road.

Volunteer organizer Janet Aversa said the fair includes Robinson's Racing Pigs, a circus, health screenings, a gospel sing, plant sale, chili cook-off, Harvest Queen pageant and other special events throughout the weekend.

'We've got the pies': 20th Annual Alabama Pecan Festival - al.com

Link: 'We've got the pies': 20th Annual Alabama Pecan Festival - al.com.

There are events that give you a slice or two of entertainment, and then there are ones that give you the full pie.

The 20th annual Alabama Pecan Festival, which takes place Friday through Sunday in Tillman's Corner, fits in the latter category. There are two days of country music, with the legendary Charlie Louvin appearing Saturday, and a Sunday lineup of gospel. There are carnival rides. There is a full slate of children's activities, including a costume contest on Friday. There are arts and crafts vendors. And there are pecan pies themselves, the event's signature dish, available for $10.

"We've got the pies," said festival organizer Billy Bolton. "We'll bake thousands of them."

SON Fair has annual fixture in local man

Link: SON Fair has annual fixture in local man.

Not even two knee replacements and retirement have slowed Laverne W. "Wilbur" Lee from being a fixture for 48 years at the Eastern Carolina Agricultural Fair.

Lee is the gate foreman. He takes the ticket money from the gates and brings it back to the office as often as needed.

"We put the tickets out on the gate with ticket sheets," he said. "And every time we pick up the money, we write the amount down on the sheets so that we can balance up at night. We've done good over the years."

Lee takes change to the gates and picks up the money.

"We don't like a lot of money being on the gate," he said, "so we bring it in. There are a lot of mean people out there now, you know."