Carnival & Fair News

Based out of Buckhannon, West Virginia, 2026 marks Gambill Amusements' 85th year in the carnival business.

According to co-owner Nichole Turner, the business began in 1941. It was founded by her husband Shane Turner's grandparents and family members, Quinn, Ken, and Lola Gambill, in their hometown of Wintersville, Ohio. Their first attraction was a pony ride, and they later added mechanical rides, growing the family business over the years.

“I married into the business,” Nichole says. “We are now in the fifth generation of operating our company, with our three daughters, Hannah, Brooke, and Faith, working alongside us.”

Shane notes that Gambill primarily operates in West Virginia but also plays dates in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Each year, the company visits approximately 28 locations between April and mid-October, including spring carnivals and events, smaller hometown and county fairs, and firemen's carnivals.

Among their biggest events, he explains, are “the Strawberry Festival in our hometown of Buckhannon, West Virginia, which comes at the start of our season; in the middle of the summer, the Fourth of July Festival in Charleston for the Sternwheel Regatta; and, to close out the year, the Mountain State Forest Festival in Elkins.”

The Sternwheel Regatta is a major multi-day summer festival held along the banks of the Kanawha River, featuring sternwheel boat races alongside the carnival and drawing a large regional audience. The Mountain State Forest Festival brings more than 75,000 attendees to Elkins. As one of the largest and oldest festivals in West Virginia, it celebrates autumn foliage and promotes natural resource conservation.

Nichole notes that many of Gambill's events have been part of their route since the company began. “Both the Mountain State Forest Festival and the Strawberry Festival have been on our route for all 85 years,” she says.

After adding rides to the family company's attractions, they continued to expand not only their ride lineup but also their food concessions and games.

“We have 28 rides at the moment,” Nichole says, “with the Casino among the most popular, along with the Ferris wheel, which is iconic, and the merry-go-round.”

While those rides are favorites among guests, the Turners have their own top picks.

“One of our favorites is the Nemo ride. It was actually the first ride the family purchased, a 1954 Eyerly ride. As of last year, we had it completely restored and mounted on a trailer. Originally, it was called Bulgy the Whale,” Nichole says. “It now looks brand new.”

Today, the ride is a cheerful kiddie attraction themed after the Nemo cartoon, featuring miniature clownfish cars that travel along a wavy track, simulating fish swimming through the ocean.

Gambill's newest ride is a Gee Wizz from Wisdom, which they are currently retheming. “We hope to have it ready by July 4,” Shane says.

In addition to rides, the company operates four food wagons and 15 games. Food selections are varied. “We have cotton candy, sausage, steak, French fries, all the basics, along with an ice cream truck for sundaes, floats, and milkshakes,” Shane explains.

Nichole adds that they also offer candy apples, popcorn, lemonade, and funnel cakes, with funnel cakes being their most popular item.

“The popcorn trailer is a Show-Me; the others were independently built,” Shane notes. All feature eye-catching banner signage.

Beyond games, food, and rides, Gambill Amusements emphasizes strong customer service. The company remains focused on keeping its historic carnival thriving by prioritizing guest satisfaction.

“For so many years, it's really been three generations at a time running the show, and we are committed to it. It has always been our family business,” Nichole says.

The show once operated two units, but Shane explains that they have since returned to “operating a single unit for six months of the year. In the past, we had rides and games spread out across multiple locations. We played major Florida fairs, including the Florida State Fair and the Sarasota County Fair, and had games everywhere.”

Gambill's current shift to a shorter schedule is partly due to staffing challenges. “The biggest change in the carnival business in the last ten years involves H-2B workers. It can be challenging to bring them in; currently, they are three weeks late. Keeping our H-2B workers seasonal is important now,” Nichole says. “We also rely on local talent and long-time domestic management.”

This year, the Turner family is looking forward to a strong season. “We are excited about the 250th anniversary of the United States. We think that will give us an extra push this year,” Shane says. “We haven't given our own 85th anniversary much thought, honestly. But we are looking forward to our 100th year in business, when we will finally get to retire,” he adds with a laugh.