Carnival & Fair News

  The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on Friday, January 10, 2025 that all slots for returning H-2B workers for the first half of the 2025 H-2B cap have been fulfilled.  These petitions were for workers with a start date of March 31, 2025 or earlier.   As stated on USCIS' web site: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has received enough petitions to reach the cap for the additional 20,716 H-2B visas made available for returning workers for the first half of fiscal year 2025 with start dates on or before March 31, 2025, under the H-2B supplemental cap temporary final rule (FY 2025 TFR). Jan. 7, 2025 was the final receipt date for petitions requesting supplemental H-2B visas under the FY 2025 first half returning worker allocation. It has been reported that all petitions received after January 7 will be returned.Employers who filed for the second half of the cap with start dates on April 1 or after were entered into a ...   [read more]

  PALMETTO, FLORIDA – The James E. Strates Shows has proudly signed an agreement with the Manatee River Fair Association, Inc.to serve as the exclusive carnival midway provider for the annual Manatee County Fair in Palmetto, Florida.The Manatee County Fair was previously played by Jim Murphy's Bluegrass Shows and most recently, Belle City Amusements.  The fair went out to bid last spring."Being part of the Manatee County Fair is an honor as the Fair celebrates and highlights the community's rich agricultural traditions, diverse talents, and cultural heritage," said John Strates, third-generation carnival owner and Director of Operations. “Strates Shows is dedicated to providing a safe and exciting carnival midway experience, where families can relax, have fun, and create treasured memories to last a lifetime.”“We look forward to partnering with the Strates Shows in providing a new midway experience for our guests, said Danny Alfonso, Manatee County Fair ...   [read more]

  Charlotte, NC – The National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials (NAARSO) is excited to announce the addition of 16-hours of comprehensive amusement ride inspection courses conducted entirely in Spanish at its 38th Annual Safety Seminar. These will occur from Monday, January 27, to Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at the Hilton Charlotte Airport in Charlotte, NC. NAARSO, a non-profit organization committed to promoting safety within the amusement industry, invites traveling shows, amusement parks, water parks, and other facilities to have team members attend this who are involved with the inspection of amusement rides and whose first language is Spanish. This new educational offering is designed to provide fundamental training across multiple disciplines involved in inspecting amusement rides and devices, including: Electronics Hydraulics Industry Standards Ride Inspection Techniques And more! The courses will be available in both virtual and in-person formats. ...   [read more]