Carnival & Fair News

Dreamland Amusements is an east coast carnival amusement company owned and operated by Kathy & Bob Destefano. It is a family-run, two-unit business that operates carnival rides, games and food stands for county and state fairs.

Created in 2003, the company travels a route from Maine to Florida, with winter quarters in Delco, North Carolina. Dreamland has continued to expand every year, growing by leaps and bounds, even throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. The operation is 100 percent turnkey and every aspect of the work, from set-up to teardown, safety, maintenance, housekeeping and training is managed in-house.

There are 170 employees between the two units and Bob Destefano takes pride in the fact that he works one unit with his wife Kathy, the ‘pretty girl' who went on a swing ride he was running after he secured his first carnival job.

“I was told to stay away from her, as she was the owner's daughter, and I was like “is that so?'” he shares. In 1984 the couple married, and they formed Silver Dollar Shows together with a partner before ending that first venture in 2002. The couple recently celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary.

“My children, Kaitlin and Jaclyn, Cole, Gerry Shoup and nephew Austin Wagner, have been a big help, as well as John Ott , who has been with us a long time and is a big part of the show. Without all the family involved, the show wouldn't be what it is. Cole has also recently put in a lot of work, especially into the Elberton County Fair (in Georgia) and we are proud of it.”

Dreamland Amusements has been instrumental in helping the industry. As Silver Dollar Shows, they established the Suffolk County Fair – the largest fair of its kind on Long Island. Building on that gained experience, they now run several of their own events under Dreamland Amusements, including the Empire State Fair, Long Island Fun Fest, the Bald Hill Fair and they even purchased a fairgrounds in Elberton, GA.



“We have also been an ally to Wade Shows at the New York Fair for his first ten years, and plan on continuing that relationship,” Destefano adds.

The company currently features 60 rides, with more to come, though a few are delayed.

“Now with the way the world is, you have to have rides on order,” Destefano says. “We actually have some rides that are not due until 2029. It used to be that you used to get rides the next year.”


Newly acquired rides for this year have included a Zero Gravity, a used Sizzler and a Tornado.

“In early 2025 we will get a Break Dance themed Flash Dance from Kolmax, a new Remix and a Double 500KW generator. In 2026, we will get a 60-seat carousel and a 110-foot swing tower, both from Bertazzon,” Destefano continues. “We will also be getting a one-of-a-kind unit from Technical Park. It's called the Heavy Rotation, and it is the only one in the country. It's a large disc-type ride that can fit 20 passengers and features elevated seats. We will also be renaming it to something futuristic, but the name will be released at a later date. We feel that this ride will be with us for a very, very long time.”



The company will also be adding stops to the route; the Afton Fair in upstate New York for 2025, and a three-year extension to the Blue Ribbon Classic Fair (Fryeburg Fair) in Maine, where they accomplished a record run this October.

“We will also be doing the Martin County Fair in Stuart, Florida,” Destefano adds. “The whole Dreamland team is excited to be chosen.” The fair will run from Feb. 14-22.

“Quality is what we strive for,” Destefano says of how the business continues to stand out. “You will be on top and get noticed if you never sell yourself short on quality. We are also very promotions oriented. You have to know your customers.”

The main goal within the business has been to keep the employees as happy as possible in a difficult setting. Additionally, maintaining a fresh show with new equipment, lighting and changing things up and out as needed has also been a focal point.

“We are judged very differently now than in the past, with the power of the big parks,” Destefano says. “We have to keep it new and fresh and if you stay stagnant, you are going to go backwards.”