Some Fair Locations In Kansas
The carnival and fair season is getting underway. There are over 3,200 fairs in the United States and over 100 in Kansas alone. The fair season usually runs from April to October. That means there are many exhibitors and carnies on the road. KUJH-TV's Peyton Baldwin tells us a little bit about living the life of a carny.
Children walk by with sticky fingers covered in pink cotton candy. The smell of corndogs and popcorn floats through the air. The sun warms your skin and muffled screams are heard in the distance. Overhead, people are waving from their seats on the Ferris wheel. This is the atmosphere of many fairs. One of the 3,200 fairs that are held in the United States, according to the International Association of Fairs and Expositions Web site.
A Little History
The International Association of Fairs and Expositions Web site said the site of the first fair is unknown, but throughout history, a form of trade took place, which many consider as the beginning of fairs. Biblical references are among the first that mention these trading events. The first North American fair is said to have been in the 1700s.
Over time, these fairs included entertainment and began to be more like the current impression of a fair. The first cattle show was introduced in 1810. Now fairs include industrial exhibits, livestock competitions, horticulture, agriculture and other activities.
The Kansas Fairs and Festivals Association lists 129 fairs that take place in Kansas. They start at the end of April and go through the beginning of October.
Wendy Schaffer, the commercial exhibitors’ executive, for the Kansas State Fair, said the fair has approximately 1,100 spaces on the grounds for exhibitors. They currently have 607 vendors hired for this year. They expect to have 700.
It’s All in the Family
History is a major part of many exhibitors and carnies’ lives. No one seems to decide on a whim to get into the business of being on the road. David Webster, of Webster Enterprises, is the 3rd generation in his family to travel and sell for a living.
Webster’s grandmother had a medicine wagon/show that contained herbal medicine. He said many people see a medicine wagon as more of a magic or witchcraft show but his grandma had real medicine and gave it to people. His grandpa was an expert violinist and together they had their own show.
His father began as a magician and running the medicine wagon at shows but eventually began attending state fairs. Webster called them “pitchmen” or people that get a crowd of people and show them how to use kitchen utensils, brooms or cleaners.
“Now we sell modern day medicine,” Webster said. They sell everything from salsa makers to curling irons.
All together, Webster’s family has been in the business for 80 years.
Phyllis Westmoreland also has a rich history of selling. She owns Westmoreland Concessions. When she was young, she worked at a restaurant and the owner and she began going to some fairs. Phyllis eventually went on the road alone in 1968.
Westmoreland said at one time she had 27 different trailers but she has cut back to 10 now that she is older. She sells cotton candy, caramel apples and popcorn in some of the trailers and corndogs and cold drinks in the others.
At the age of 8, Rex Lewellen began working for a carny picking up baseballs that customers threw at cans. “I got paid 50 cents an hour,” Lewellen said. He also worked at a go-cart track in his teens. At 15, he went on the road with Bob Ottaway and helped him run his carnival rides.
“I worked with Bob when he only had two rides. It took him 30 years to get his business as good as it is now,” Lewellen said.
Lewellen is in his 8th season of owning his own show, Lewellen Amusements. He said anyone who has less than 10 seasons of owning a show is considered a new show because of the time it takes to get a route set up.
Sabrina Nemmers also inherited her show from her family. Her father owned Toby’s Carnival Co. He started his show in 1963. They now have 20-25 rides.
The Business of the Business
One big misconception of the traveling business is that it is easy to get into.
“I don’t know how many times someone’s told me they were going to go home and start up a business like mine,” Webster said. “Everyone thinks you get big money fast, and that is just not the case.”
Six to seven months of the year, Webster is on the road. His company does a string of state fairs during the spring and summer, the National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas in December and then several livestock shows between January and March. This means he is traveling many miles every few weeks. Those miles start to add up and cost quite a bit.
Concessions trailers are also not a cheap investment Westmoreland said. Some of her trailers cost as much as $150,000. Then a truck and driver is needed for each trailer. An average of 5-7 trailers are at each show they travel to.
Lewellen has 10-20 vehicles that go to each show. He estimates the cost of fuel to be 60 cents a mile. They travel within a 300-mile radius of Wichita, Kan.
“There always seems to be some kind of repairs that need done. A truck needs fixed or a ride needs a part changed. Safety is our first priority,” Lewellen said. He is the only level three inspectors in Kansas, which is the highest level. He frequently receives calls to inspect carnival rides in the area.
Employees are another expense. Webster has a core group of 20 sales people that work on commission but then he also hires local people. The core group travels in RVs to each destination or share motel rooms.
“It’s hard to find a fair price for a hotel room because they up the price when the fair is in town. Some people will rent out their basements to us, though,” Webster said.
Westmoreland and Lewellen say that finding good help can be one of the biggest headaches.
“We try to carry as many regular employees as we can but we do hire local people. You do have to watch them, it is hard to know who you can trust,” Westmoreland said.
Lewellen said that many of the employees he hires are people that cannot find a job anywhere else.
“Some of the best help we have had were hitchhikers. We dust them off, teach them a little bit of responsibility and some go on to do other things. We just try to be a positive influence,” Lewellen said.
The products, services and weather also contribute to the expenses.
“My dad always said ‘Nothing stays the same, you keep going forward until you fall backward,’” Webster said. He said finding new products and signage are very important aspects of the business. “Your booth has to stand out and catch people’s attention.”
So far this year, the weather has not helped Lewellen.
“Beware of those four-letter words, wind, snow and rain. We are at the mercy of mother earth,” he said.
This year has been extremely difficult he said. In fact, he has never seen it this bad. His company must fulfill their contract to be at a location but if it rains and people do not come, then he loses money. He is hoping this weekend will be better.
Pros and Cons
There are other difficult aspects of the job.
Nemmers said all the paperwork is what she hates. “There seems to be more and more of it.”
The hours are the worst part for Westmoreland. She said she gets up at 7 a.m. every morning and goes to bed around 2 a.m.
Webster said that hours and the amount of miles you put on yourself are some of the worst things. “You work 9-9 everyday and then drive 800 miles to the next show,” he said. The other thing he does not like is the time he is away from home. All of his kids are grown now, but they could not always be on the road with him while growing up.
The best parts of the job are probably what keep many of these people doing the job, though.
“I love meeting and talking to new people,” Nemmers said. She also enjoys having the freedom to be her own boss.
Lewellen also said meeting new people is one of the best parts. He also loves the idea of being in a new town every week. He has been to several shows already this year and is already booked every weekend until October.
He recalls seeing people that came to the fair when they were little that now have their own kids. He said they usually come by to have him meet their kids. His dog is famous too.
“Rex likes to walk down the midway from time to time,” Lewellen said. People will come by just to see her he said.
Westmoreland said she has a “road family.” Many of her friends are on the road and she enjoys getting to see them.
Finding new products, having the freedom to answer to himself, the camaraderie of the sales crew and having an extended family with the other exhibitors are Webster’s favorite things.
He said that because he grew up in the business he could not imagine doing anything else. His job has become more of a lifestyle than a job.
“It’s the hardest job you will ever love,” Webster said.
Bill Ball, owner of Crazy 8 Concessions, talks about the kind of person you have to be in order be a carny.