Carnivals

[fatelk]

Every town has a summer festival or two, celebrating whatever they think makes them unique. I’m sitting here waiting for my kids to get done at the rinky-dink little carnival they have set up, feeling a little like I’ve been robbed by a bandit.

They all wanted wristbands for the rides, that was $100. The ticket booth only takes cash, but has an attached ATM. That’s an extra $4 charge to get cash from the machine. Then they get in and they’re disappointed because there’s just a half dozen old rides. A couple of them I recognize as ones I rode back in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Hopefully they’ve been maintained since then.

A small bottle of cold water costs $4. I left and went down to the grocery store and bought drinks and some pizza for them. No way am I paying outrageous prices for carnival food.

I have to shake my head. I see throngs of people throwing huge amounts of money around, and just from looks I’d guess many of them can’t afford it any more than I can, probably less.

I guess I’m just an old grump. I know the kids like it and make fun memories, but if I never go to another carnival, I’m fine with that.

[6bg6ga]

I'll join you....no carnivals for me either.

[RED BEAR]

Well you were robbed. But then it ain't for you. Did your kids have a blast? It's not always bout the money. I have blew money to make my kid then grandkids happy that i never would have spent on me. I grew up poor and never went to a carnival of fair or pretty much anything. I now take great pleasure watching the grandkids having fun. They are only young once.

[fatelk]

But then it ain't for you. Did your kids have a blast?

Very true. :)

[NyFirefighter357]

The carnivals here support the local volunteer fire departments. My fire department's carnival runs two week ends Thursday, Friday, Sat night with the first Thursday starting with a big parade. The tax base is large here and the FD's are fully funded ours a with $1.2 million a year contract. The ride company splits the sales 35/65 in favor of them but we sell most of the food & water with all those sales going directly to us. What we are known for is our sausage & pepper/onion wedges $8 but sell the usual food as well. You get your moneys worth from the serving sizes we provide. Water and fountain soda are $1. The carnival is open from 7-11pm the bracelets are $30ea but 2 nights there is a $5 discount. We also run a raffle usually for a new car this year it's a $10,000 cash grand prize with smaller prizes as well. The money made goes directly to the membership fund which is used throughout the year for a family picnic, food/drinks at parades, drills & training, scholarships to members & there children ect. We have an active membership of approx 150 members, close to 20 pieces of apparatus, our main HQ in town and 2 substations on either side of town.

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[DocSavage]

We have a couple of carnies a year around here never went as I've no interest and the fact that they attract a fair (no pun intended) number of miscreants.

[tinsnips]

Raising four kids I think I spent just under a million dollars at fairs and carnivals. But the kids loved them so maybe it was worth it. Not anymore.

[LUBEDUDE]

Even as a kid I didn’t trust the rides at traveling carnivals. But I was ok with six flags and the Texas State Fair. However, my last State Fair was in 1980(?) when the buckets with people in them started falling out of the sky on the Swiss Sky Ride. One of them landed 20 feet from me into a crowd on the Midway.