Carnival & Fair News

  Carol Wisdom, 68, of Sterling, Colorado, passed away peacefully in Greeley, Colorado January 5th, 2026. She was born May 17, 1957, in Sterling, Colorado, to Gerald “Jerry” and Elaine Wisdom.She spent her childhood traveling the country with her parents, working on the family carnival until around the age of 14, when the carnival was sold and the family transitioned into full-time manufacturing. She graduated from Sterling High School and later attended college at the University of Northern Colorado.Following college, she joined the family business, Forsythe & Dowis Rides, manufacturing amusement rides delivered worldwide. She devoted more than 50 years to the amusement ride industry. She was blessed to work alongside her parents and her brother, Victor Wisdom, whom she dearly loved throughout those years. Her love of family was extraordinary, and working together as a family was one of the great blessings of her life.Service to others was central to her life. She ...   [read more]

  Long-time novelty owner, Leisa Lee, passed away on December 23, 2025.  Leisa traveled the country booking her novelty stands at some of the largest fairs in the nation including the Minnesota State Fair.  Throughout the industry, she was known as "one of the best".Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends. Full Obituary Leisa Lee was deeply loved and will be profoundly missed. She was a hardworking woman who devoted her life to her family, always putting those she loved first. Known as the queen of bling, Leisa was truly one of a kind vibrant, bold, creative, and unforgettable. Extraordinarily artistic, Leisa had a gift for turning imagination into reality. She once painted her son’s bedroom a breathtaking space that appeared in newspapers several times for its extravagance and originality. Half rainforest and half ocean, the room featured tree frogs, coral reefs, hidden treasure chests, and even a large fiberglass octopus arm emerging from the wall. ...   [read more]

  Just before the new year, the Departments of Homeland Security and Labor announced the release of an additional 35,000 H-2B visas to supplement the standard annual cap of 66,000 visas for fiscal year 2026. This represents nearly a 50 percent reduction in the number of supplemental visas issued in each of the previous three years. It remains unclear whether the additional visas will be distributed in two separate allocations or released all at once. In prior years, a portion of supplemental visas was reserved for workers from the Northern Triangle countries. However, today’s announcement does not specify whether a similar carve-out will apply this year. While the OABA and the Seasonal Employment Alliance remain focused on efforts to secure permanent cap relief, it is uncertain whether such legislation will pass in time to provide relief for employers during the 2026 season.The official release is below: The Departments of Labor (DOL) and Homeland Security (DHS) are announcing ...   [read more]