Carny Town - Traveling Carnivals, Fairs and Festivals

Farwell Labor Day festival looks back on past - themorningsun.com

For more than a century, the Farwell community has celebrated Labor Day with a long weekend of activities.

"Blast from the Past" is the theme of this years' festivities, which kick off Friday with the midway by Schmidt Amusements opening at 3 p.m. at the Farwell Fairgrounds.

K&M lawn tractor pulls also begin at 3 p.m., along with the entrance of exhibits.

Oldies will be featured in the beverage tent, which is open from 6 p.m. to midnight Friday with "Sound Productions" providing music from 8 p.m. to midnight.

One of the biggest attractions at the celebration is the USA Figure 8 Derby, scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Farwell Labor Day Celebration Committee President Gina Hamilton said the derby has been a popular event, as is the parade, which begins at 10 a.m. Monday.

Parade registration begins at 8:30 a.m. Monday at the Farwell Little League field.

Blast from the Past is also the theme for this year's parade, Hamilton said.

Activities Saturday begin with the entrance of exhibits at 11 a.m., followed by the opening of the petting zoo at noon.

Noon also marks the opening of the carnival midway and pony rides, which last all day.

via www.themorningsun.com

Ten Darien Lake rides back up and running - The Daily News Online: Home

DARIEN CENTER — Ten rides closed at Darien Lake Theme Park Tuesday morning because of a power failure were back up and running by later that afternoon, spokeswoman Cassanda Okon said.

An electric transformer went down around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday. The park was still open and guests were given a free pass for later this season or next season.

via thedailynewsonline.com

Crane tips in Sacramento theme park | News | Vertikal.net

A crane has gone over while working on a ride at the Scandia Fun centre in Sacramento California, yesterday while attempting to remove a large component from the ride. - the Scandia Screamer.

We understand from a good source - and have now received photos that appear to confirm it - that the crane, a 70 tonne Link Belt HTC 8675 four axle truck crane, owned by Maxim Crane Works, was lifting a long lattice boom from the top of the pole that supports, it when it lost stability dropping the boom.

The fallen crane

Local fire crews say that the operator and lift managers underestimated the weight of the arm which pivots on a 25 metre high pole, causing the crane to overturn once it took the load. However photos now coming in suggest that the ground may have given way onder the outriggers.

This photo suggests the ground gave way

Two men were working on top of the pole, removing bolts to release the arm, which carries a gondola on each end of it, they were fortunately wearing harnesses and lanyards and did not fall, the most serious injury is a broken leg received by one of the two.

via www.vertikal.net

Stark County Fair stage is safe, say officials - Canton, OH - CantonRep.com

Stark County Fair officials say there are major differences between the stage being used at the fair and the one that collapsed earlier this month at the Indiana State Fair during a powerful storm, killing five people and injuring dozens of others. Local officials admit, however, that the same company designed both stages.

The collapse of the stage in Indiana came moments after an announcer warned of the advancing storm and gave instructions on what to do in event of an evacuation, according to The Associated Press. Three minutes later, undetectable straight-line winds caused the stage to come crashing down. The stage the Stark County Fair Board rents for its grandstand shows was designed by James Thomas Engineering — the same company that manufactured the stage that collapsed in Indiana. However, Stark Fair Board President Jim Tressel was reassured that the stage is safe, during a conversation with Sound Rental Service, which is responsible for setting up the structure.

Tressel noted that Stark’s stage is much smaller than the one that collapsed in Indiana, measuring 30 feet by 40 feet, and is similar to a flatbed trailer.

“We’re talking about something (in Indiana) that’s a monster stage,” said Tressel. “I’m told it was 60 (feet) by 90 (feet).”

In addition, no lighting or other fixtures are attached to the roof of the stage at the county fair, which is used only for grandstand shows, Tressel said.

“It’s engineered so that you don’t put anything on the roof,” he said. “I was told there were tons of (lighting and fixtures) on the Indiana State Fair’s ... . We have zero on ours.”

Fair officials always treat threatening weather seriously, Tressel said, adding auxiliary members of the Stark County Sheriff’s Department are responsible for executing an evacuation plan. The plan has been adopted by fair managers throughout the state, according to Tressel.

via www.cantonrep.com

2011 L.A. County Fair Opens Labor Day Weekend - MarketWatch

POMONA, CA, Aug 30, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- The L.A. County Fair opens this Labor Day Weekend with an array of new interactive exhibits in addition to Fair favorites -- concerts, shopping and the best food in L.A. County -- all at an affordable price.

Sharks and monkeys and bears, oh my! Check out the newest attraction, the Live Shark Encounter, where guests are up-close to a 5,000-gallon shark tank as a diver plunges in with these intriguing creatures. Discover lumberjack skills at Wilderness Ridge and meet our friendly brown bears. Or, monkey around with Mojo, our Capuchin Monkey, and her kangaroo and reptile friends at Mojo's Jungle.

Mosey over to FairView Farms to get down and dirty with barnyard animals including goats, pigs, miniature cows and the oldest breed of horse in the world -- the Caspian horse. You can even visit Freedom, the calf born at last year's fair! Or, check out Zuckerman's Nursery to see all the baby animals -- more than 50 born each year!

We know L.A. can seem like a circus, but how about joining one! Esmeralda's Traveling Circus features acrobats, contortionists, wire walkers, fire eaters, side shows and more. Guests can even learn how to fly on a real trapeze.

Journey into Our Body: Live Healthy and get an "inside look" at the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. With all new specimens, this educational, museum-like experience is sure to be an eye-opening experience for all.

Knowing that the L.A. County Fair is only once a year, calorie counters can splurge on their favorite Fair food. Enjoy everything from deep fried Kool-aid and giant turkey legs to maple bacon donuts and the best BBQ around. Then wash it all down with the Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits award winners.

After eating, get a jump on that holiday shopping with more than 500 vendors at the L.A. County Fair, making it the largest shopping place in the West!

Finish the night with our End of Summer Concert Series featuring performances by The Beach Boys, One Republic, Gloria Trevi, Earth Wind & Fire, Victoria Justice, LeAnn Rimes with Kelli Pickler, Big & Rich with Gretchen Wilson and more!

Fun for the whole family, the L.A. County Fair runs Sept. 3 - Oct. 2, 2011 and is closed Mondays and Tuesdays (except Labor Day). Stay up-to-date and find weekly promotions online at lacountyfair.com, facebook.com/lacountyfair and on Twitter @lacountyfair.

via www.marketwatch.com

Kanawha County Fair Preparations Under Way at New Location - WOWK-TV - WOWKTV.com

The 2011 Kanawha County Fair will run from Sept. 8-11 at Shawnee Park.

CHARLESTON -- The Kanawha County Fair has a new location for 2011, but organizers promise the same local flavor with added excitement.

The fair is scheduled for 5-10 p.m. Sept. 8, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sept. 9-10 and 1-7 p.m. Sept. 11. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children younger than age 12. Adults can purchase four-day passes for $35 in advance or four-day passes for children for $15 in advance.

The fair’s new location this year is Shawnee Park, located off of State Route 25 along Fairlawn Avenue.

Officials say the former spot, Camp Virgil Tate, was not as accessible. Organizers promise additional carnival rides, food vendors and musical entertainment.

Kanawha County Parks and Recreation Executive Director Jeff Hutchinson said fair organizers wanted fair talent to be “strictly local” this year, featuring Jon Higginbotham, the Esquires and the Bob Thompson Unit.

Friday will continue to be “Kid’s Day,” with special activities and no charge for students who attend. XMCW professional wrestling is scheduled for 5 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday evenings, and gospel music is planned for Sunday afternoon.

via wowktv.com

New York State Fair corrects attendance figures after software glitch

Incorrect attendance numbers for Friday and Saturday were caused by a software glitch, New York State Fair officials said Monday.

Fair attendance for two days -- Thursday and Sunday -- were correct. Attendance on those days was 51,896 -- the opening day of the fair -- and 27,202. 

The low attendance on Sunday was likely caused by the rains that fell in the area.

But for two other days -- Friday and Saturday -- attendance numbers were off. An accounting firm found and fixed the problem. 

Friday's attendance was initially reported to be 70,976, but was actually 81,548. Saturday's attendance was reported as 106,890 but the actual attendance was 105,137.

The error has been fixed on the New York State Fair website.

via auburnpub.com

SALINE FAIR: Annual event kicks off Tuesday - Saline Reporter - Heritage Newspapers

By Kevin Ernst, Saline Fair Board PresidentView and purchase photosWelcome to the fair!

via www.heritage.com

Economists expect strong turnout for Fair - San Bernardino County Sun

POMONA - The 89th annual L.A. County Fair will kick off Saturday, featuring everything from concerts, interactive exhibits and carnival rides to horse racing, fried Snickers bars and a live shark encounter.

Fair employees and vendors are scrambling this week to assemble booths and displays for the event, which last year generated nearly $28 million in revenue and drew 1,374,673 visitors.

But in a climate where many consumers have lost their jobs, had their hours cut or faced other economic challenges, will attendance at this year's event suffer?

Not likely, say the experts.

"I would expect attendance to be equal to or greater than last year," said Michael Carney, an economist at Cal Poly Pomona. "The fair is still relatively inexpensive - and close. And entertainment doesn't drop during economic downturns as much as everything else does."

John Husing, chief economist with the Inland Empire Economic Partnership, agreed that many consumers have been talking about "staying close to home and doing things that are reasonably inexpensive."

But the government's drawn-out debate over raising the nation's debt ceiling put many already-wary consumers on edge, he said, that that has prompted a pullback in spending.

via www.sbsun.com

Crews prepare for the Tulare County Fair in Tulare | Visalia Times-Delta and Tulare Advance-Register | visaliatimesdelta.com

Oscar Castro transports barrels of supplies on Monday for the Tulare County Fair, which begins Sept. 14 and runs through Sept. 18. / Eric Woomer

Written by

ERIC WOOMER
ewoomer@visalia.gannett.com

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Teresa Hernandez cleans at the Tulare County Fairgrounds on Monday. / Eric Woomer

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via www.visaliatimesdelta.com