Carnival & Fair News

  The ongoing government shutdown has arrived at a critical point in the year, a period that typically brings clarity and stability to the H-2B visa program for 2026. The Seasonal Employment Alliance has highlighted the shutdown’s impact on cap relief measures for the upcoming year, as well as its broader implications for ongoing advocacy efforts seeking a long-term, permanent solution to the program’s recurring challenges. Will this impact the release of supplemental visas? The short answer is yes. Our visa release advocacy campaign is hampered as a result of the shutdown. The Congressional letter to DHS, for instance, will not start circulating until the shutdown ends. Also, political appointees are working but only in a limited capacity. We have continued to engage them on the visa release but we do not believe DHS has made any progress on the release. Our estimate is that it will take, at minimum, a month between the government reopens and when the visas will be ...   [read more]

  It is with rgeat sadness to announce the passing of Arthur Forcier of Minnesota based Gopher State Expositions.Funeral services will be 3:30PM Friday October 10, 2025 at the Williams Dingmann Family Funeral Home in St. Cloud for Arthur Forcier, 88 of St. Cloud who died Monday, September 29, 2025 at his son’s home in Rice. Chaplain James Neppl will officiate and entombment will be at Assumption Cemetery in St. Cloud. Visitation will be from 1:00PM until the time of services on Friday at the funeral home in St. Cloud. Art was born December 26, 1936 in St. Cloud to Arthur E. & Mildred M. (Becker) Forcier. Art was born to be a businessman. From an early age, he was involved in his parents’ ventures in the Saint Cloud area and, in 1968, he proudly took over the family carnival business, Gopher State Shows. Renaming it Gopher State Expositions, he grew the operation to more than 20 rides, traveling to fairs and festivals throughout Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri. The ...   [read more]

  (JEFFERSON CITY, MO.) – Today, Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn and Missouri State Fair Director Jason Moore announced that more than 329,000 people attended the 2025 Missouri State Fair, held last month in Sedalia.“The Missouri State Fair offers something for everyone, and I am always pleased that so many people come to see this celebration of agriculture,” said Director Chinn. “The hardworking team on the Fairgrounds works to improve the Fair each and every year with innovative new offerings, while keeping the spotlight on Missouri agriculture. Thank you to everyone who traveled to Sedalia to attend the Fair.”Livestock shows, concerts and fair food are always staples at the Missouri State Fair. The Fair also showcased more than 28,000 total entries, including almost 8,000 4-H exhibits and nearly 6,500 FFA exhibits. The MDA Animal Health team checked in more than 15,000 animals throughout the duration of the Fair. The Home Economics ...   [read more]