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If you own a carnival company you may want to take a look at incorporating your business in Delaware because of tax breaks. I've been told that all you need to do is have a address, phone number, and fax machine. Delaware does not even have any really strict inspection standards like Maryland, PA., or New Jersey. I believe MD.,Pa.,and New Jersey have federal standards to follow and real inspectors come out to the sites.In Delaware I was told you need a LLC to operate a business with $1 million in insurance which runs a couple hundred bucks a month and your insurance company sends out an agent to inspect the ride. Can anyone confirm if this info. is correct ...was really surprised to here this about Delaware because Delaware has many carnivals throughtout the state. I've seen Majestic Midways, Skelly 's Amusements,Lynam's Amusements, Sherwood Amusements (lower Delaware), Stine Amusements, Houghton Enterprises, and even Wade Shows set-up for the week at a local Church carnival before moving onto Delaware State Fair.
Sharptown Fireman's Carnival in Sharptown, MD. is a perfect example of hometown owned carnival. They usually have it from mid July to mid August, apprx. 24 days, where they own and operate there own rides. All the rides are kept under cover by either a large pole barn or large garage-type building with roll-up doors. The local firmen maintain and perform maintenance on the rides. They actually have a few antique rides that you don't see that often. There is a Scrambler,Eli Ferris Wheel, A/H Antique Carousel, Super Slide, Tilt-A-Whirl, and Tornado and for the younger children they have the Mangles Pony Carts, Mangles Fire Engines, A/H Skyfighter, Mangles Kiddie Whip, Hampton Antique Cars,Jolly Caterpillar, Mangles Kiddie Ferris Wheel, and kiddie chair swing ride. At one time they also had a Space Train and a small trailer-mounted Wenie Whip ride...not sure what happened to those rides.
quite a few "home owned " carnivals in Kansas. they leave the rides set up, just take most of the tubs off. have been doing it for years. they usually are run by locals, most farmers and local mechanics doing the work on them. About 50 or so county fairs in KS that cant get a carnival, most of them arent big enough to support one. The only part that troubles me about the whole deal is the state of KS has started an inspection program and as of now "home owned" carnivals are not required to participate.
For several years Elizabethton Tn did this.. They had a wheel, swings, either a caterpelar or ridee-o MGR and others I cant remember..They would leave them up..Take off the wheel seats, mgr horses, swing seats etc..Then once a year they would run the stuff for I think 2 weeks..Again..this ended in the 70s to the best of my memory..
Living here in MD.
Quite a few VFDs own or owned their own little show that they would bring out once or twice a year for the carnival
I think they had a paratrooper, cobra,scrambler, swinger, eli wheel, and tilt possibly, im not too familiar with what rides they have/had
A friend of mine told me about them, they were mostly down in the Charles, St Marys, and Calvert county region of southern maryland.
I think my friend told me they finally sold the rides after several decades of running their own shows, I believe that the insurance premiums, and fuel money, and various other costs got to high for the VFDs to afford to use them
Noow they just book in a local show to play it
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Originally Posted by: HOmodels 

Locals of a small town in Witchitia, Kansas have owned there own carnival rides for years due to a Amusement Company not showing up for a "booked" Carnival event. The hometown community has a Tilt-A-Whirl, Paratrooper, Round-Up,Merry Mixer,Ferris Wheel, Antique Carousel,Go-Gator Kiddie coaster, 1940 A/H Kiddie Auto(refurbished), 0-99 miniature Train,Bulgy the Whale, Convoy,kiddie ferris wheel, Flying Scooters, and Lindy Looper (was in storage).



So do they just pull this stuff out once a year and use it? Do the locals run the rides as well? Got more details on how this all works? I've heard of a couple of places doing this...some Fire Dept maybe in the Northeast (CNY or BSA might remember that story??)
Originally Posted by: 80meterwheelman 

How does a carnival not show up? I'm sure it happened but, that's really strange. So, what are they doing with the equipment? Putting on their own show? Selling?



It happens for various reasons. Previous reasons have included shows going broke at the previous spot and not having money to make the jump; a show closing in the middle of the season; in the past some shows have either intentionally or mistakenly overbooked at more than one spot; and there have been shows that have just blown off a spot either because it wasn't good financially or there were issues with the committee.

Those are just a few reasons that I know of. Not saying it's good or professional but it has happened and does occasionally happen.

How does a carnival not show up? I'm sure it happened but, that's really strange. So, what are they doing with the equipment? Putting on their own show? Selling?
Doing nothing is tiresome because you can't stop to rest.
Locals of a small town in Witchitia, Kansas have owned there own carnival rides for years due to a Amusement Company not showing up for a "booked" Carnival event. The hometown community has a Tilt-A-Whirl, Paratrooper, Round-Up,Merry Mixer,Ferris Wheel, Antique Carousel,Go-Gator Kiddie coaster, 1940 A/H Kiddie Auto(refurbished), 0-99 miniature Train,Bulgy the Whale, Convoy,kiddie ferris wheel, Flying Scooters, and Lindy Looper (was in storage).