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Originally posted by Predatorocks

I think the problem with these stores or malls is that they don't want to market them. Whoever happens to drive by that store, or mall will find the carnival.



The problem is that alot of the malls dont want the carnivals. Marketing the carnival at the mall is usually the carnivals job.
Matt Cook
Matt's Carnival Warehouse / Matt's Web Design
http://www.carnivalwarehouse.com 
http://www.mwdwebdesign.com 
I think the problem with these stores or malls is that they don't want to market them. Whoever happens to drive by that store, or mall will find the carnival.
Yeah who could forget the Venture's. At least it seems the Meijers stores allows shows yet..
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Originally posted by Ryan

I rember the zayres quite well. Don't forget the venture parking lots.

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Originally posted by Rockowheel

Had to put my 2c in...Would love to know how many in the Chicago area remember the Gaylords and Zayres stores, almost all had carnivals throughout the summer. In the very early days of Windy City Amuse. one could find them often at the Gaylords in Aurora, and the Zayre spots were sometimes called "Zayre fairs" -lol



I rember the zayres quite well. Don't forget the venture parking lots.

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Originally posted by Rockowheel

Had to put my 2c in...Would love to know how many in the Chicago area remember the Gaylords and Zayres stores, almost all had carnivals throughout the summer. In the very early days of Windy City Amuse. one could find them often at the Gaylords in Aurora, and the Zayre spots were sometimes called "Zayre fairs" -lol


www.modernmidways.com 
"If life was fair elvis would be alive and the impersonators would be dead"-carson
Only caught one show playing a shopping centre date for the last few years. Big”M” (Micheal’s Amusements) had all classic equipment including an Octopus with metal tubs.

In the past shopping centers were a mainstay on the route of Western Canadian shows. Mackay used to come in from Spokane for two such spots several years in a row.

I’m always amazed by the quantity of shows listed by Ryan and Chris which play over one weekend.
Speaking of JamesWay, that must've been stores back that way up in NY, as i found an old A-Team toy sealed in the package and the price sticker had JamesWay on it. [8D] Michael's Amusements used to set up frequently in Dunn, NC with their Scat, Loop-o-Plane, and now Expo Wheel, along with the others, but now do they?, no way,[:(] beats me, i miss seeing Michael's Loop-o-Plane espcially, it was a great looking one! He also has or may still have it, the classic Cobra. Another classic i miss seeing on the midway, as well as riding it. Yes, i have seen the new Viper, it's over-cooked, i'd rather have the Cobra anyday! [:o)] And Angier, NC is not a real big town, about the size of a hole in the wall. Yet, i can sorta see in my mind a small carnival set up in front of the grocery store in that small, limited-space parking lot. A nice Eli or Nittany Wheel, Scrambler, Loop-o-Plane, Scat, & Paratrooper..along with kiddie rides. That'd be a nice small layout indeed!

I know if Angier got something like that going now days again like they used to, no, it wouldn't bring in huge amounts of money like the State Fair does, but it would help out the town & give something for the people to look forwards to each year again for a few days. It was surely something i looked forwards to when they had a yearly Spring carnival in Dunn all of those years. I remember when i lived near Benson, NC all of those years growing up, i'd see in the Benson paper, advertising the yearly Spring carnival in Dunn, and i would see flyers posted around town advertising it just outside of Hardee's ( when Hardee's was in Benson, it's now an eye doctor office ) & McDonald's. I do remember coming out of Roses in Dunn years ago, probably 90 or '91, i saw the Zipper going behind McDonald's over behind some businesses. I wanted to go, but mom said no. That very carnival / show also had a Sky Wheel years earlier in the late 80's in the parking lot of the used-to-be Sky City in Dunn.

~Ben
Had to put my 2c in...Would love to know how many in the Chicago area remember the Gaylords and Zayres stores, almost all had carnivals throughout the summer. In the very early days of Windy City Amuse. one could find them often at the Gaylords in Aurora, and the Zayre spots were sometimes called "Zayre fairs" -lol
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Originally posted by JustJeff

Jamesways were the bis shopping center spots in New York state back in the day....Saratoga,Naponoch,Monticello....always liked them cause they had a decent lunch counter and BATHROOMS!!!Wasn't port-o-pottys all over back then....jeff

When I was a young child the carnivals I remember most as far as shopping centre's and parking lot's are Westland Mall in Westland, Michigan and Wonderland Mall in Livonia, Michigan. Saw a few different shows at Westland--Wade Shows, Crown Amusements, Motor State Shows, that I can remember.

The big one was Wonderland Mall--Link Shows/World of Pleasure Shows, north side of the mall (it was an open air mall back then, was not enclosed until the early 1980's) along Plymouth Road, big midway with rides like the Sky Wheel, Himalaya, Eli Wheel, Flying Bobs, Twister, Scrambler, Zipper, Toboggan, Paratrooper, Tilt-A-Whirl, Loop-O-Plane, Rock-O-Plane, Sky Diver once or twice, Spider, Round Up, Super Loops, coaster one year, dark ride, fun houses/glass houses, all kinds of kiddie rides. One year they had two Sky Wheel's. All the classics.... Always held for two weekends around Memorial Day weekend, the Livonia Jaycees would take out a full page ad in the Detroit News on the first Friday full of ride photos advertising the HUGE ANNUAL LIVONIA JAYCEES SPRING CARNIVAL AT WONDERLAND! TEN BIG DAYS AND NIGHTS! (Yes, all caps. lol) Sigh....those were the days....

"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first." -- Mark Twain
The general area in which I live, the only town that had shopping center lot Shows was Terre Haute. At one time or another there were carnivals at the following lots...Meadows, Plaza North, Towne South, and the WalMart SuperCenter on the south end. The WalMart lot was the last one to host a Show, and that had to be more than ten years ago. They were not well attended for some reason, so naturally they went away. I miss them.
I've never been "with it", just been an interested observer of carnivals for more than 50 years.
Johnny's United Shows..."A Family Tradition" and "All for Fun, Fun for All".
The carnival of my youth, which had roots that originated in my hometown.
Jamesways were the bis shopping center spots in New York state back in the day....Saratoga,Naponoch,Monticello....always liked them cause they had a decent lunch counter and BATHROOMS!!!Wasn't port-o-pottys all over back then....jeff