Thunderbolt, all the things you said at the start of this topic are all things that I remember vividly, and miss so much. I know things change, and carnivals have to appeal to today's youth, but I miss the Shows from the 70s tremendously. I would love to have a typical 70's ride lineup for our local event, and I think it would do better than what we have now. I am mainly talking about the rides, but games also.
I will always remember as a young boy, and later a teenager, not being able to sleep on the Saturday night before the Sunday morning when I knew the Show was rolling into town. I lived right across from the grounds, and could sit on my front porch and watch the trucks with rides pull in. That was better than any Christmas I had! I also so loved just watching the Show being staged on the lot and the setup. When the festival started, I could look out the front window of my house and see the colorful, always in motion midway. I was so lucky!
But things I miss, are seeing the Show's rolling stock all painted up in the Show's colors and emblems. Our Show was Johnny's United Shows and they had most of their trucks painted candy apple red with their signature shield emblem on the doors. We also got very big rides like the Sky Wheel, Flying Bobs, Cortina Bobs, Himalaya, A European-built, two-truck Swing ride called the Satelite Flite, Sky Diver, a ground-mounted, two trailer Dodgem Cars that they advertised as the largest such ride in the US. We will be lucky to see any of those rides going forward here. I also miss the old Bingo joints on many Shows. There just seemed to be more stuff for the whole family to enjoy back then.
I'm just glad I got to grow up when I did, and got to see what I still say was the golden age of carnivals...the 70s to about the mid 80s.
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.