Carny Town - Traveling Carnivals, Fairs and Festivals

$3.4M payout for ride collapse

A judge Tuesday approved a nearly $3.4million settlement in a suit filed on behalf of five children injured in a carnival ride accident at the 2008 Calaveras County Fair.

According to court documents, Brass Ring Amusements, Chance Rides Manufacturing and North American Amusements will pay $3.375 million to Robert and Deena Milligan, whose five children were injured in the accident. Slightly more than $1 million of that will go to Corsiglia, McMahon & Allard, the law firm that represented the Milligans.

On May 16, 2008, the Yo-Yo ride at the Calaveras County Fair dropped its arms while the ride was still moving, dragging the chairs dangling at the end of the arms across the ground.

The accident injured 21 people. In a news release, the law firm said one of the Milligans' five children suffered permanent brain damage and orthopedic injuries in the accident.

The California Department of Industrial Relations issued a report 10 months later saying a damaged lock washer caused the ride to fail and drop its arms.

That report left it unclear whether Brass Ring Amusements, which owned the ride; the previous owner, North American Amusements; or the manufacturer, Chance Rides, was responsible for the deficient maintenance work that damaged the washer.

Five months after the accident, Chance Rides issued a bulletin ordering all owners of Yo-Yo rides to install a metal plate that would prevent the lock washer from failing and releasing the ride's arms.

Robert and Deena Milligan declined to comment on the settlement. "I am not at liberty to discuss anything," Robert Milligan said.

via www.recordnet.com

Circus comes to Conroe on Monday

The “big top” tent may be a vanishing part of circus tradition, but the tigers, elephants, aerialists, acrobats, jugglers and clowns still provide thrills and smiles for children of all ages.

The Carden Entertainment Circus comes to the Lone Star Expo Center, located at 9055 FM 1484 in Conroe, Monday with shows at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. Special pre-performance activities are being held one hour before each show.

“We’re in our final weeks of performances before the winter break,” said Amanda Tackett, circus spokeswoman. “That, combined with the upcoming holidays, motivates everyone to make each show special.”

More than 200 people and dozens of animals work together to put on each show, Tackett said. It’s a challenge, but it’s a thrill most of the circus family members wouldn’t miss.

“We have acts from 15 countries and some that have been performers for five generations going back 200 years,” she said. “It’s a special bond that is like being part of a family.”

For some, the dream of running away from home to join the circus is a reality. Some attend special circus schools in Europe or South America or the clown college in Sarasota, Fla.

“And some start by helping with staging or caring for the animals,” Tackett said. “Circus people are very friendly and it’s not unusual to learn juggling or how to work with animals.”

While Tackett is not a performer, she said she has learned to juggle and has spent a fair amount of time with the animals in the circus.

“There’s a big difference between ‘carnies’ and circus performers,” she said. “There’s a strong support group in the circus. They are really loveable people.”

As important as those interpersonal bonds may be, the care and well being of the animals in the circus are even bigger challenges. Each tiger eats between 20 and 50 pounds of USDA Choice beef each day. Elephants consume up to 500 pounds of hay, plus bushels of fresh fruits and vegetables.

“The logistics of keeping the animals well fed, groomed and happy is a big job,” said Tackett. “Taking care of the humans is easy by comparison.”

Tackett’s favorite acts are the daredevils, tigers and elephants, but the combination of so many performers packed into one show make the experience special, she said. She’s also proud of Michelle Audrey, a native of Texas, who is the female ringmaster for the circus.

“It’s a great show and a great tradition of entertainment,” she said. “We’re looking forward to bringing it to Conroe.”

Tickets for children 12 and under are $12 and adults $16, available at the door.

Brad Meyer can be reached at bmeyer@hcnonline.com.

via www.hcnonline.com

Broward County Fair find new home - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com

The Broward County Fair has a new location this year, the City Center at Pembroke Pines, 10100 Pines Blvd. The all-new fair will take place from Nov. 24 to Dec. 5 and will feature midway rides, games and attractions; student, agriculture and animal exhibits; and contests, activities and entertainment for all ages on two stages. Fair admission, which includes general parking, exhibit areas, shows and attractions, costs $10 for age 12 and older and $5 for ages 3 to 11. Children 2 and younger are admitted free. One-day P*O*P Tickets for age 6 and older include gate admission and unlimited mechanical rides and are available online for $25 per person or $30 at the gate. For fair hours and more information, call 954-922-2224 or visit www.BrowardFair.org.

Win a Wii video game system for the holidays. Click here for more information.

via www.sun-sentinel.com

Rodeo loses money for Fair

America's No. 1.

   But one of America's signature sports — rodeo — continues to cost the Colorado State Fair a chunk of change. It lost $85,000 in 2010.

  America, the 1970s-era rock band, was the top moneymakercq for the Fair this summer.

  The band led the summer expo's entertainment lineup with a $32,021 profit.

  Smokey Robinson earned $31,851, the demolition derby made $11,335 and Charley Pride made $10,396.

  Other events that turned a profit at the 11-day expo were the roller derby ($2,821), one of the monster truck rallies ($4,005) and the Fiesta Day riding event, Celebracion de Los Charros ($6,169).

  The Fair's financial results were released Wednesday and Thursday at the annual two-day retreat of the expo's Board of Authority, held at the Fairgrounds.

  "The roller derby was an excellent addition. America and Smokey Robinson really went well with the baby boomers," General Manager Chris Wiseman said Thursday following the retreat.

  Overall, the Fair lost less money on its entertainment schedule than the previous year.

  The Events Center made $22,796 this year, a sharp increase from the $56,000 it lost in 2009 and the $25,500 it lost in 2008.

  The Grandstand arena lost $64,643 this year, which was a decrease from the $67,000 lost in ’09 but not as low as the $57,000 the venue lost in '08.

  Fair leaders were pleased with the bottom line at the Events Center and will continue to whittle losses at the Grandstand, which has long been a money pit.

  The PRCA Rodeo, which celebrated its 50th anniversary at the Fair this year, has grown in attendance the past three years but still fails to turn a profit.

  The five-day rodeo cost the Fair more than $85,000. Two of those nights, the rodeo followed with concerts from Emerson Drive and Blake Shelton, a rising star in country music.

  Shelton's performance was graced with a guest appearance from his fiancee, Miranda Lambert, another rising country singer. The couple's musical popularity has blossomed so that they were named male and female vocalists of the year, respectively, at the recent Country Music Awards.

  But the duo's Pueblo performance was not enough to turn a profit for the Fair. The rodeo/Shelton concert lost $5,054 and the rodeo/Emerson Drive event lost $24,495.

  "If I didn't have any events at the Grandstand, I'd lose revenue in other areas of the Fairgrounds," such as the carnival, vendors and concessions, Wiseman said.

  Having entertainment "still drives our gate, but we need to close that expense gap at the Grandstand. It's something we've been focusing on. A Fair has to have a rodeo and by state statute I have to promote the culture of the Southwest, and the rodeo does that."

  The Gym Class Heros/Sean Kingston concert, sponsored by Colorado State University-Pueblo, cost the Fair $15,284.

  This was the second year the Fair and CSU-Pueblo partnered to deliver a concert on the final night of the Fair.

  The first year the two sides saw success with 3OH!3. Wiseman said he plans to sit down with college officials about their future partnership following this year's financial disappointment.

  Other news from the Fair retreat:

   The Junior Livestock Sale was rated in the top 12 nationally by the North American Livestock Fairs and Shows survey.

   Sponsorships saw a $187,296 decrease this year.

  Sponsorship coordinator Dani Griffith said that financial lull was due to fewer media sponsorships.

  "I've found that in election years, media sponsorships are usually down," she said.

   The Fair's new recycle program fetched 90 cubic yards of recycled materials during the 11-day run.

  Thanks to a $26,500 grant, the Fair purchased 25 re

via www.chieftain.com

Board Requests $50 Million Bond To Reopen Kentucky Kingdom - Local Entertainment News Story - WLKY Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- A Louisville businessman is asking state lawmakers for a $50 million bond to help reopen Kentucky Kingdom by 2012.

Ed Hart and officials with the State Fair Board met Tuesday night with members of Jefferson County's legislative delegation.

The bond money would be used to rebuild the amusement park, including doubling the size of the water park and adding a new roller coaster.

Kentucky Kingdom closed this year as part of a bankruptcy filed by Six Flags.

Hart said reopening the park could create up to 2,000 jobs.

Previous Stories:

• November 12, 2010: Kentucky Kingdom Launches New Website
• October 28, 2010: Kentucky Kingdom Reopening Delayed
• September 10, 2010: Bond Needed For Reopening Kentucky Kingdom
• May 27, 2010: Board Chooses Kentucky Kingdom Operator
• May 27, 2010: New Proposal To Reopen Kentucky Kingdom Unveiled
• May 13, 2010: Time Running Out To Get Refund For Six Flags Season Passes
• May 7, 2010: Kentucky Kingdom Hopes To Reopen In 2011
• April 10, 2010: Protest Held At Kentucky Kingdom Theme Park
• February 23, 2010: Fair Board Sues Park Owner Over Rides
• February 11, 2010: What's Next For Kentucky Kingdom?
• February 5, 2010: City Ponders Economic Impact Of Six Flags Closing
• February 5, 2010: Mayor: Six Flags 'Out Of My Hands'

via www.wlky.com

Columbia County Fair Board looks back, forward

DAYTON -- Columbia County Fair Board members took a look back at the 2010 Fair, and began planning for the 2011 fair at their meeting Monday.

Fair manager Shane Laib said Tuesday he didn't have final figures on attendance, but "it appears gate sales were up.

There were some last-minute changes in the event schedule, and some disappointments with attendance at special events, but highlights included the Kid Zone, which garnered an award from the Washington State Fair Association.

via union-bulletin.com

Lake County Fair Association $4M in debt

Roughly $4 million in debt and facing scathing criticism from one of its members, the Lake County Fair Association voted in favor of several major financial measures at its annual meeting Tuesday night.

The association membership voted overwhelmingly to adopt proposals by member Greg Koeppen to hire a fair manager, to make audits available for review from 2004 to the present, to make available for review all current liens on fair property and to form finance and business committees.

In a separate vote not initiated by Koeppen, the membership also approved moving forward with an application for a $7.5 million government-guaranteed loan through the U.S. Department of Agriculture that would be used to pay off the fair’s debt and complete buildings at its new site in Grayslake.

Koeppen, who is the executive director of the Lake County Farm Bureau but stressed he was speaking as a fair association member, said fair association has watched as it fell deeper and deeper in debt. He compared it to a student going off to college with his first credit card after earning a nominal sum with summer work.

“The student heads off to college with that plastic card in hand and begins to charge books, food, nights out, expensive clothes, etcetera,” Koeppen said. “Folks, the Lake County Fair Association is also that 18 year old. We were given 160 acres and a sum of money for our ‘summer work’ and, just like that student, we bought the best without thinking about those bills.”

Koeppen said the association has $2 million in outstanding loan debt and owes about $2.2 million to contractors who have placed liens on fair property, figures that were confirmed by Dave DeYoung, fair president and board member.

Koeppen said he made his remarks and proposals “to ensure we have a fair today and into the future because, frankly, the course we are on now will be the demise of the Lake County Fair Association in the near future.”

His address was met with applause, and he said Wednesday that several association members told him after the meeting that they had shared the same concerns.

DeYoung attributed much of the association’s current situation to the economy, but said he believes the loan through the USDA will help alleviate the problem because once the buildings are completed, the fair can begin receiving revenue from their use.

He also said the association has 19 acres of land east of Midlothian Road at the new site available for sale, and that revenue from that sale will eventually help the financial situation.

As to Koeppen’s remarks, DeYoung said it was a public meeting and “everyone has their opinion.”

“There are other businesses struggling, but yes, we have our problems too,” he said

DeYoung said the Fair Board views the vote by the membership binding, and will move forward with Koeppen’s suggestions, as well as the USDA loan, which the board was already pursuing.

Board President Bill Obenauf recently announced he was stepping down as president and from the board, and a new board member, Dan Sramek, has been appointed.

DeYoung said the board will elect a new president at a meeting in the near future

via newssun.suntimes.com

The Brooklyn Paper: One last drink at Ruby’s on the Boardwalk

Hundreds of fans of the “old” Coney Island gathered for one last drink at the Ruby’s Bar on Saturday to protest a landlord’s decision last week to shut down the beloved Depression-era dive and eight other Boardwalk businesses in a bid to sweep away some of amusement zone’s carny feel.

The landlord, Central Amusement International, ordered the kitschy shops to vacate by Nov. 15. The businesses, including the Shoot the Freak booth, will be replaced for the summer.

“It’s a very sad day for Coney Island,” said owner Cindy Jacobs Allman, whose father Rubin Jacobs took over the 76-year-old bar in 1975. “The city needs to recognize that there’s a place for iconic spots like Ruby’s in the new Coney Island.”

via www.brooklynpaper.com

Simmerman elected President of Indiana State Fair

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Steve Simmerman, Purdue assistant athletics director for facilities, has been elected president of the Indiana State Fair. He will serve a two-year term.

Since 2007, Simmerman has been on the Indiana State Fair Board of Directors, which is comprised of 17 members (some elected and some appointed by Governor Mitch Daniels) from across the state.

The Board of Directors is responsible for planning, organizing and managing all aspects of the Indiana State Fair, which runs annually during the month of August in Indianapolis.

In 1851, at the urging of Governor Joseph A. Wright, the Indiana General Assembly passed an act intended "to encourage agriculture" growth in the state, which also included the formation of a State Board of Agriculture. A primary goal of the Board was to organize an Indiana State Fair. A year later, the first State Fair was held at the Marion County Fairgrounds in downtown Indianapolis. Indiana became the sixth state to begin holding an annual state-wide agricultural fair.

Simmerman was named assistant athletics director in January of 2003 after eight years as facilities operations director. He oversees new construction, remodeling, event management, renovation and maintenance of all the athletics department buildings and grounds.

Simmerman began working for Purdue in 1983 as assistant superintendent of Ross-Ade Stadium. He was promoted to superintendent in 1989.

via www.purduesports.com

Vertigo

via farm5.static.flickr.com