Traveling carnival
Its roots are similar to the 19th century circus with both being fitted-up in open fields near or in town and moving to a new location after a period of time.
[3] The Chicago World's Fair had an area that included rides, games of chance, freak shows, and burlesque.
After the Chicago World's Fair, traveling carnival companies began touring the United States.
[citation needed] Due to the type of acts featured along with sometimes using dishonest business practices, the traveling carnivals were often looked down upon.
[citation needed] Modern traveling carnivals usually make contracts with local governments in order to play both state and county fairs, as well as smaller venues (such as store parking lots, church bazaars, volunteer fire department fund raisers, and civic celebrations).
Originally, a fair would also have had a significant number of market stalls; today this is rare and most sidestalls only offer food or games.
In 1868, Frederick Savage, an agricultural engineer from King's Lynn, devised a method of driving rides by steam.
His invention, a steam engine mounted in the center of the ride, transformed the fairground industry in England and around the world.
Otto Schmitt, a showman at the world's fair, formed Chicago Midway Plaisance Amusement Company.
The company featured thirteen acts, including some from the World's Fair, and began a tour of the northeast US.
These independent owners are contracted to pay the carnival operator a percentage of what their ride or stand grosses in sales.
They will have their carnivals in warm climate southern areas and then move into northern regions during the warmer months.
When a carnival is "playing" a fair, exhibits or displays may charge their own entry fee, as well as some entertainment acts (such as a music concert, tractor pulling, or a demolition derby).
Junk food items like deep fried candy bars, the deep-fried Twinkie, chocolate hot dogs, Dippin' Dots ice cream, the blooming onion, and "deep-fried butter on-a-stick" are some of the delicacies that can be found at carnival food stands.
Other side stalls range from the trivially easy, such as hooking rubber ducks from a water trough in which nearly every player is expected to win a prize,[16] to the deceptively challenging, which includes games which utilize optical illusions or physical relationships that are difficult to judge.
Highly profitable (and therefore timeless) games include: Much of the true "con artistry" has been driven out of funfairs in the twentieth century, and combined with an increasing emphasis on the role of families and small children in such entertainment,[17] contemporary showmen often find greater profit in pricing their games far above the value of the prizes being offered, with complex formula for upgrading to the large prizes that advertise the game and instill desire among customers.
The rises in pricing of many side stalls must often reflect the overheads of running fairground equipment – the cost of merchandise, diesel, staff, and rents.
These rides are designed to use height, speed, g-force, or centrifugal force to appeal to the riders' senses.
[18][19] There is constant innovation, with new variations on ways to spin and throw passengers around, in an effort to attract customers.
Roller coasters are generally the most attractive aspect of a fair,[citation needed] but many people come for other reasons.
There are also other items for children such as slides, mirror mazes fun houses, and variations on the bouncy castle.
Changing public opinions and increased medical knowledge have led to a decline of these type of shows.
[21] Daredevil shows like the globe of death, which features motorcycles performing inside an enclosed sphere, or a high diving act were sometimes included.
