Having rides at the carnival has been so synonymous with the fair that when they disappeared a few years ago, it was one of those this does not compute moments.
So it was with some glee (think being 8 years old), we saw the silhouette of a Ferris wheel rising above the structure of Hestand Stadium this week. The seats were covered, maybe to protect them from a morning rain, but you knew that come nightfall, they and every other lit-up ride on the fairgrounds would be spinning away.
It’s been five years since the rides were part of the Southeast Arkansas District Fair & Livestock Show — and that’s way too long.
We recall that a year or two during that span a carnival showed up after the fair ended, as if an operator had pity on us and dropped by for a few days. But it just wasn’t the same. The whole package, of course, is walking the grounds and checking out all the critters that 4-H kids have raised, the jams and jellies that intrepid home-ec sorts produced in their kitchens, the paintings and photography and examples of plants grown and articles of clothing sewn, and of course the beautiful handmade quilts the local club members made.
Then the fun, preceded by some yummy hot dogs and cotton candy, which, if they’re not part of the national food pyramid, should be, at least in the fall.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
The carnival operator this year is Alex Swyear, who brought 16 rides with him for the Jefferson County event. Asked what was the fan favorite, Swyear said the Rock Star, followed closely by the Tilt-A-Whirl and, of course, the Ferris wheel. It makes the head spin, literally.
Kudos to the fair association’s Dale Dixon, who, we can only imagine, took a lot of hours away from his day job to pull all of this off.
“I’m excited because so many people jumped in to help us like the Extension Service,” Dixon said. “All our halls are full with exhibits.”
Dixon said the numbers of patrons in past years slumped, leading to some hesitation by carnival operators to make the Pine Bluff stop. He said there aren’t any calendar conflicts to get in the way so maybe enough people will show up to make it worth Swyear’s effort this year.
And for some icing on the cake, there’s a special addition to the week.
“We did bring a rodeo back that’s coming Friday and Saturday with the top announcer in the country and top funny man,” Dixon said. “It was a blessing to get someone to do the carnival. All we’ve got to do is show up.”
In the old days, there was also a fair parade that included floats from area schools and businesses and lots of cowboys and cowgirls on horseback. Maybe that particular event is out of reach just now, but having the fair and livestock show and carnival back together, well that puts an exclamation mark on the event, especially for the perpetually young at heart.