My name is Chris and I am a huge fan of carnivals. I pretty much love everything about them: the lights, the showmen, the smells, to me they have always been magical. Probably most of you feel the same or you wouldn’t be posting here.
Currently I work as a clown -- twisting balloons, a bit of juggling, face painting, you know… clown stuff. Now that my daughter has gone off to college, my wife and I are wondering what to do with ourselves and the idea of trying to work for a carnival came up as something that sounded fun. So we have been doing a bit of research. I am hoping that you guys can answer some of my questions.
Obviously most carnivals are looking for people with carnival experience. Neither of us have any. We could learn of course, but for now we have none. Without this experience how difficult is it to get a job? I do have a CDL if that’s worth anything.
Second question, how much do starting carnival workers earn?
Finally, as I said, I work as a clown. If I wasn’t going to work for a carnival, do carnival owners or operators sometimes allow people like me to work the crowd, twisting balloons. I assume I would have to give the show a cut of what I earn. If so, who should I ask to speak to at a show?
Thanks in advance, and I appreciate any advice you can give me.
Chris