Carny Town - Traveling Carnivals, Fairs and Festivals

Rain brings down attendance at Manitowoc County Fair | htrnews.com | Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter

Rain brings down attendance at Manitowoc County Fair | htrnews.com | Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter.

MANITOWOC — Attendance at the Manitowoc County Fair was on the way to being among the best ever until the rain hit on Saturday, according to Jeff Beyer, public works director for Manitowoc County.

A sugar rush at the Minnesota State Fair

A sugar rush at the Minnesota State Fair.

One of the best things about living in Minnesota is the State Fair at the end of August. Every year, I look forward to gorging myself on fried food and food on a stick at the Great Minnesota Get Together. And no Fair would be complete without eating my fare share of ooey gooey sweets that taste as good as they are bad for me. Here are a few of my favorite treats at the State Fair: Sweet Martha’s Cookies By far my favorite sweet (and probably my favorite food) at the State Fair is Sweet Martha’s delicious and hot from the oven chocolate chip cookies. There’s just nothing better than a cone of her deliciously sweet, crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside cookies with melting chocolate chips. And there’s no better way to top off a cone of cookies than a tall glass of refreshingly cool milk to wash everything down. Caramel Apple Sundaes No trip to the Fair is complete without stopping for a caramel apple in a dish topped with peanuts. The tart and juicy apple is topped with a generous covering of thick and gooey caramel and salty peanuts. At least with this fruity treat you can pretend you are eating something healthy. Colonial Nut Roll Company The salted nut roll is a newer addition on my must-have-sweets list. Each roll is handmade with gooey nugget covered with salty peanuts. It’s the perfect sweet and salty combination. The stand also sells cashew rolls and chocolate-covered nut rolls, but I like to stick with the original. Homemade Cinnamon Rolls This was the first year I tried the oven fresh cinnamon rolls in the Food Building at the Fair, and the long line was definitely worth the wait. The rolls are made fresh on site, and you can actually watch them being made. The end product is warm and soft with a crunchy outside and loads of cinnamon swirled through each roll all topped off with the perfect amount of sweet and creamy frosting. Oven Fresh Brownies Every year I walk by the Oven Fresh Brownie stand longing to try one of their home-baked bars, but I never have until this year. I’m definitely glad I stopped by this stand for one of their warm and fresh, dark chocolate brownies topped with rich and gooey frosting. You can also order their Turtle Brownie that is topped with caramel, hot fudge and whipped cream. Make sure to bring a few friends with you to the Fair so you can try all of these wonderful treats, without leaving with a sugar high and a stomachache. The State Fair runs August 27 through September 7. Check out the State Fair website for more information and to search their Food Finder so you can be sure to get your fill of Fair food.

Washington County Fair this week in Fayetteville :: Fayetteville Flyer

Washington County Fair this week in Fayetteville :: Fayetteville Flyer.

It’s that time of year again. Time to eat funnel cakes, cotton candy, meats on sticks, apples on sticks, deep-fried twinkies on sticks and other weird/delicious fried foods / foods on sticks, and then ride spinny rides to the brink of losing it all. It’s time for carnies, corndogs, the Zipper, Tilt-a-Whirl, mullets, rat tails, winning knifes at the ring toss, winning a rabbit and/or goldfish, goats, dutch oven cooking contests, popping balloons with darts, giant blow-up guitars, the “fun” house, tractor pull, the constant fear of death-by-carnie, funnel cake, quilts, “art,” hillbillies, goth kids that are way out of their element, that funny-looking guy with 3 teeth, half shirts, muscle pants and so much more. That’s right. It’s fair time, baby. A few fair events officially began last week, but the most awesome portion (the carnival part) begins tomorrow night at 5:00 pm. Armbands are $30, but you can save $5 with a Pepsi can. If rides aren’t your thing, you can check out the goats, pigs, dairy cows, and whatnot beginning each day at 10:00 am. Admission to the fair is $5, but that does not include rides, just so you know. Friday night, the fair stays open late for Midnight Madness from 12:00 am – 3:00 am, and Saturday, the carnival portion opens a little earlier, at 1:00 pm. Other notable events at the Washington County fair include: Cake Decorating Exhibit: Friday, 6:30 pm – Youth Exhibit Building Youth Dog Show: Saturday, 10:00 am – Livestock Arena Dutch Oven Cook Off: Saturday, 10:00 am – Front Gate Tractor Pull: Saturday, 2:30 pm – South Side of Beef Barn Youth Talent Contest: Saturday, 6:00 pm – Outdoor Entertainment Stage Purtiest Cow Contest: Saturday, 7:30 pm – Livestock Arena Now get out there, and win some knives.

Chippewa County Fair begins - Sault Ste. Marie, MI - Sault Ste. Marie Evening News

Chippewa County Fair begins - Sault Ste. Marie, MI - Sault Ste. Marie Evening News.

KINROSS - With the delivery of poultry and rabbits the 2009 Chippewa County Fair quietly opened on Sunday marking the first of nine days at the fairgrounds. Today's activities culminate at 7:30 p.m. with Go Cart Racing at the Grandstand while on the Midway carnival workers will construct the wild rides and attractive games of skill and luck which annually draw the big crowds to this event. The Skerbeck Brother's Carnival begins at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Two other big events are also scheduled for this day with the introduction of the Chippewa County Fair Queen in the Grandstand at 7:30 p.m. followed by the USA Demolition Derby at 8 p.m. On Wednesday, the carnival rides resume at 1 p.m. with a special promotion calling for unlimited rides from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. with the purchase of a $20 wrist band. Wednesday events also include a USA Demolition Derby at 8 p.m. On Thursday, the dead weight tractor pull is scheduled for 9 a.m. with the carnival rides to resume at 1 p.m. The big event on this evening is described as Car Hockey and kicks off in the Grandstand at 7 p.m. Tractor pulls will be featured Friday morning with the garden class set for 9 a.m. and the farm tractor class slated for 11:30 a.m. Carnival rides are set for 1 p.m. on this day with the Grandstand featuring stock car racing at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday the garden tractors will compete with the draft horses as both events are scheduled for 9 a.m. Carnival rides begin at noon with the market livestock sale slated for 1:30 p.m. The Antique Tractor Parade is slated for 7 p.m. in the Grandstand followed by the Dafter Lion's Mud Run at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday an open horse show kicks things off at 8 a.m. with a garden tractor pull to follow at 9 a.m. The Antique Classic Tractor Pull will follow at 11:30 a.m. It will be a busy day in the Grandstand with worship services at 9 a.m., a pony pull at 1 p.m., a horse pull at 2 p.m. and gospel music at 7 p.m. The Fair concludes on Labor Day beginning with a 9 a.m. garden tractor pull. Other activities include a car show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and an 11 a.m. chicken barbecue sponsored by Kinross EMS.

Farwell ready for the 103rd Labor Day Celebration | The Clare County Review

Farwell ready for the 103rd Labor Day Celebration | The Clare County Review.

The Village of Farwell is preparing for their 103rd annual Labor Day celebration, now just one week away. It is the longest continuous running festival in the state. The event, which begins Friday, September 4, is the area’s second largest family oriented activity, next to the Clare County Fair, which winds up for another year this weekend. The celebration attracts visitors from all over mid Michigan every Labor Day weekend with entertainment, carnival attractions, home exhibits and Friday and Saturday and Sunday performances of the annual Figure 8 Derby, all held at the Farwell Fairgrounds. A fireworks display will follow the Figure 8 Derby on Saturday night. The weekend winds up September 7 when the biggest parade in Clare County winds through the Village beginning at 10 a.m. on Labor Day. This year’s parade theme is “Discovering Michigan’s Treasures.” The carnival midway, by Schmidt Amusements opens Friday at 3 p.m., at noon on Saturday and Sunday and 11 a.m. on Monday.

Bayfield County Fair finds new ways to bring in people | FOX21Online.com

Bayfield County Fair finds new ways to bring in people | FOX21Online.com.

RON RIVER, Wis. - Fairs fight back to thrive in the tough economy. For more than a century, the Bayfield County Fair has been going strong. But this year, they came up with new ideas to bring in more people to indulge in fair food, carnival rides and entertainment. The Bayfield County Fair Committee is working hard to keep numbers up. "We do need more people with the prices of everything going up, we want to keep it running," said Bayfield County Fair Secretary Theresa Kummerow. She says traditionally they see 10,000 to 11,000 people over 3 days of ticketing but that number has stayed steady for the past few years. "So as the farm population shrinks, there is less kids in 4–H, then less people think that a county fair is for them," said Kummerow. Kummerow says the Bayfield County Fair is not struggling to survive, nor is it in danger of shutting down. "But we like to keep things fresh and interesting and educate people and entertain them at the same time," said Kummerow. To help bring in more people this year, the fair committee added and extra day of activities along with a grandstand show on Thursday, an amateur karaoke contest, big name music on Friday and a pay–one–price. "It’s absolutely fabulous the way the fair was run this year and the price structure for the families," said Michelle Drougas of Oulu. For the first time, $10 got you into the fair and included grandstand shows and as many carnival rides as you can handle. But you can't have the Bayfield County Fair without the "Dirt Dash." "It’s become one of our most popular shows," said Kummerow. This crowd favorite brings in hundreds to the fair every year. "It’s been our mainstay for quite a few years, there are a lot of them that just show up for the dirt dash," said Race Director Robert Janigo. He says in the "Dirt Dash," almost anything is legal. "Lot of paint scraping, lot of spin outs, pushing, shoving, we call it rubbing and racing," said Janigo. "Anything can happen out there, you never know what's going to happen," said "Dirt Dash" driver Scott Shober. More than 40 local drivers race 4 heats in this action packed event. "It’s just 3 laps, a couple minutes of just a pure adrenaline rush," said Janigo. And they don't have any trouble filling the grandstand with an energized crowd of dirt racing fans. "It’s just fun, it's the only race that's like this on a 4 wheeler track and it's just fun," said Shober. "Just something about seeing those cars smash and tip over," said Kummerow. The Bayfield County Fair wrapped up Sunday evening with the Demolition Derby.

Coaster Force

Coaster Force.

New Park Guides Knoebels Lake_Winnepesaukah Alabama_Adventures Carowinds The_Milky_Way

NY State Fair

NY State Fair, originally uploaded by auburnxc.

NY State Fair

NY State Fair, originally uploaded by auburnxc.

At Md. State Fair, the running of the pigs -- baltimoresun.com

At Md. State Fair, the running of the pigs -- baltimoresun.com.

Zach Johnson has spent the past 12 years racing pigs at fairs nationwide, and this weekend marked his sixth return to the Maryland State Fair in Timonium. But the goateed Kansas City resident still seems to enjoy watching the creatures waddle-trot around the tiny track. Or as he'd undoubtedly put it, the job isn't boaring. The man is a pig pun machine, cranking them out like a sausage factory, especially when it comes to the names. Consider the lineup for the first of three races Saturday afternoon: Kevin Bacon, David Hasselhog, Brad Pig and Simon Sowell.