Carnival Experience Is a Family Affair

By Amanda Finnegan

Thursday, July 26, 2007

As the sun sets for the day at the Loudoun County Fairgrounds, the rainbow lights of the carnival illuminate the night sky. The smell of hot funnel cake and sugary-pink cotton candy fill the air and draw in crowds to the nightly attraction.

While many of the 4-H-ers pack their animals up until the next day, for the carnival workers Wednesday evening, the day is just getting started.

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Loudoun County Fair Carnival

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Elijah McDermot, 4, fishes for toy sharks at the carnival Wednesday at the Loudoun County Fair. (Amanda Finnegan)

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Elijah McDermot, 4, stands proudly with his shark at the carnival Wednesday at the Loudoun County Fair. (Amanda Finnegan)

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Cousins Elijah McDermot, 4, and Deirdre Barry, 19 months, walk to the rides at the carnival on Wednesday at the Loudoun County Fair. (Amanda Finnegan)

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Fairgoers line up at the ticket stand for the carnival on Wednesday at the Loudoun County Fair. (Amanda Finnegan)

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Tiffany Tyson, 17, takes a break at her dart stand before the carnival rush on Wednesday at the Loudoun County Fair. (Amanda Finnegan)

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From left to right: Tess, 9, Jenna, 12, Gabrielle Larco, 9, and Ruth d'eButtz, 16, on a ride at the carnival on Wednesday at the Loudoun County Fair. (Amanda Finnegan)

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Sage Myer, 5, works behind the counter at a dart game on Wednesday at the Loudoun County Fair. (Amanda Finnegan)

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Sage Myer, 5, cleans up darts behind the counter of the carnival game she works on Wednesday at the Loudoun County Fair. (Amanda Finnegan)

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Amy Murphy and Sage Myer, 5, pose for a picture behind the counter Wednesday at the carnival game they work at the Loudoun County Fair. (Amanda Finnegan)

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Eleanor Wible, also known as the "Lucky Ducky Lady," helps Amanda Thomas, 9, at her carnival game Wednesday at the Loudoun County Fair. (Amanda Finnegan)

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A group of teenagers plays the ring toss game at Henry and Cindy's stand on Wednesday at the Loudoun County Fair. (Amanda Finnegan)

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Glenda Martz helps Amanda Thomas, 9, at her game on Wednesday at the Loudoun County Fair. Also pictured: Zachary Thomas, 11, and Trevor Moortgat, 12. (Amanda Finnegan)

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From left to right: Amanda Thomas, 6, Zachary Thomas, 11, and Trevor Moortgat, 12, play a carnival game Wednesday at the Loudoun County Fair. (Amanda Finnegan)

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Zachary Thomas, 11, and Trevor Moortgat, 12, high-five after making a shot at a carnival game on Wednesday at the Loudoun County Fair. (Amanda Finnegan)

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Amanda Thomas, 6, and Zachary Thomas, 11, try their hand at a carnival game on Wednesday at the Loudoun County Fair. (Amanda Finnegan)

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Yanush Shahnazi, 13, and Eric Phillips, 12, try the ring toss at Henry and Cindy's stand on Wednesday at the Loudoun County Fair. (Amanda Finnegan)

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The carnival rides on Wednesday at the Loudoun County Fair. (Amanda Finnegan)

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The rides and games opened Tuesday and will stay open each night through Saturday. The carnival is run by Snyder’s Amusements, a family-owned company based in Greencastle, Pa.

The carnival was filled with packs of teenagers, families and kids with sticky faces.

“I like the slide the best,” 4-year-old Elijah McDermot said as he fished for toy sharks in a blow up pool with his 19-month-old cousin Deirdre Barry. McDermot later proudly showed off his prizes after having a go at the dart games.

For Loudoun County residents like McDermot and family, the fair is just a yearly tradition, but for many workers who staff the games and rides, the carnival has become a way of life.

As for Cindy and Henry, from Harrisburg, Pa., who asked that their last name not be used, their ring toss stand is a family tradition. Cindy’s father owned the game and traveled with it for 20 years until passing it down to his daughter. Cindy and Henry have traveled to carnivals in four different states for the past three years.

“The people are just so nice around here,” Henry said. “You don’t see that everywhere you go.”

Just a few feet from Cindy and Henry’s ring toss trailer is a true carnival veteran. Glenda Martz, of Hagerstown, Md., has been traveling with Snyder’s Amusements for 22 years and has made it a family affair. Martz is a single mother who brought her two children, ages 14 and 16, and soon plans to introduce her youngest child to the world of carnivals.

“I have a 2-year-old who will be working for the fair in three years,” Martz said.

A sign on her trailer boasts, “The only person at the fair who will baby-sit your goldfish.” Martz runs the “Throw-a-Ball-in-the-Goldfish-Bowl-and-Win-a-Goldfish” game.

Martz began her work for the Snyder family by baby-sitting the now owner.

“I’m not part of the Snyder family but I sure feel like I am,” she said. “We are all family for 6 to 8 months out of the year.”

Martz added that part of the carnival experience is watching the kids grow up who attend the carnivals.

“When you come back, you see the same people year after year and their kids are now grown kids with kids,” she said. “That’s what I like about it.”

Amber Martz, Martz’s 14-year-old daughter, has been working in carnivals since she was 8.

“It’s fun to watch the little kids laugh and giggle and get all sticky eating the cotton candy,” she said.

At 14, Amber Martz is now a pro at cotton candy spinning. But she is certainly not the youngest member of the carnival crew.

A first-timer to the behind-the-counter side of the carnival, 5-year-old Sage Myer, of Hagerstown, Md., worked the dart game with Amy Murphy, of Ohio. With Myer’s mini-purple apron to collect money and tickets, she explains how the game works.

“Pop a balloon and win a prize every time,” Myer said. Want to know how to win one of the big stuffed animals? “Play a couple times,” she added.

Myer’s favorite part of the carnival is the rides, but her favorite thing about working it is “getting paid,” she said in a most mature voice.

A few stands away is the “Lucky Ducky Lady,” a name given to Eleanor Wible, of Hagerstown, Md. Wible, another carnival veteran, reaffirmed the sense of family.

“We all get to know each other. I don’t know what they think, but I think of them as family. We celebrate birthdays together like anyone would with family,” she said. “We look out for each other and take care of each other.”

Wible smiled, “We also have nicknames for each other. Of course, I’m the ‘Lucky Ducky Lady’ but they also call me ‘Sassy’ too because I like to have fun.”

As the night came to a close, back at her booth, Martz gave a fish to 6-year-old Amanda Thomas, of Purcellville, after her older brother, Zachary Thomas, 11, and friend, Trevor Moortgat, 12, both won fish.

“Even though she didn’t win, you can’t leave her out. You get to be involved with families,” Martz said, smiling. “And that’s what I love about this job.”

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