smallybells7

‘Twas my first visit to the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, one of the biggest events in the city! Have been going to Houston since I was a wee little baby (family lives there), but haven’t been to the Rodeo before! They had livestock (cows, pigs, goats, rabbits, chickens, etc.), a rodeo show, some agricultural universities with booths (like Texas A&M and Texas Tech), a carnival, and more! Rides at the carnival were provided by Ray Cammack Shows (iirc they usually do carnivals and fairs in the Western United States like Arizona, California, etc.). We’re here! Cows Moooooo One of 4 Ferris Wheels on the midway Big scary roller coaster A look down the midway. I’m sure these rides are *totally* safe to ride! Another Ferris Wheel! Random Fun House thingy. Brrrrrr This ride barely had any patrons… but it was also raining off and on for most of the afternoon Your standard Gravitron ride (there was also another one by the name of ‘Centrifuge’) Ah yes this little bastard known as the Zipper Well, sorry kids! Looks like this ride’s closed! But you can always ride the Windsurf instead! I could’ve sworn this ride killed somebody before (haven’t they all? ) Well this is quite the surprise! Skee-Ball at the fair! Ice cream They had your typical assortment of carnival games. Pictured here is the pop the balloon game. I didn’t play any of the games though. Little Dipper but no Big Dipper Balloons! It’s not a fair without a Carousel! They also had a bigger one with 4-abreast seating (rode that one; skipped this one!). Yet another Ferris Wheel They had your typical sky ride/chair lift thingy but we didn’t ride it since it was raining off and on Whatever the hell this is… I’m sure your grandma remembers this ol’ carnival classic! They had your usual assortment of fun houses and not-so-scary dark rides; this one pictured here had an under the sea theme. They had another Carousel and Ferris Wheel in the Kiddie Land. Also pictured is a Wave Swinger with a circus theme. Cyclone Ladies and gentlemen! The one, the only: Dumbo! Mutton Bustin’ They had some other rides too like the big slide, a music express-type ride, and a log flume (who in their right mind would want to go on that in the rain??? ) That’s all, folks! Had a great time here and I’ll be sure to come back for another visit! (But preferably when it’s sunny! )

I have yet to visit a Reithoffer event. I've been to a PBJ event (Amory Railroad Festival), a N.A.M.E. event (the Mid-South Fair in Southaven at the Landers Center), and a Wade Shows event (the Tupelo Fair in 2014 but Wade no longer had room on their schedule for it so somebody else has the spot now) but I don't think Reithoffer plays any events near Mississippi that I'm aware of. Would love to see them some day, though! Their rides look awesome and in great shape/condition!

.https://carnivalwarehouse.com/newsserver/reithoffer-shows-signs-coastal-carolina-fair-1649635200 This year it was announced Reithoffer Shows will be doing the Coastal Carolina Fair in Charleston, SC. This spot was previously an Amusements of America spot and PBJ Happee Day Shows of Marion, Arkansas provided some book-in rides like the Moby Dick and Flatline 360. I think having a new company at the spot will be better logistically for the Caspers because South Carolina is a long way away from Arkansas and they usually stick to fairs in the Mid-South (They usually do Mississippi fairs in the Spring and Arkansas, Tennessee, and Missouri fairs in the summer.).

Yes they have one parked in Frisco Park (although I don't think it is operational anymore) and they usually have a little tiny one that runs around a track for the kiddies.

After a 2-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Amory Railroad Festival was back so I decided to go check it out! The carnival was provided by PBJ Happee Day Shows of Marion, Arkansas (located near West Memphis) who primarily does carnivals in Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Missouri along with the Coastal Carolina Fair in Charleston, SC as a book-in ride provider for Amusements of America (in fact, there was an A of A sign on the fence in front of the Moby Dick). There were 11 rides which is about all they can bring due to the limited space available. And we're here! A look down the midway from the 2nd floor of the Monkey Maze. It sure was nice to be back amongst the atmosphere of the carnival! It's not a fair without a Ferris Wheel! This one appeared to be in great condition with shiny, sparkling seats and a cool LED light show! I scream for Ice Cream! This worn-down looking slide is *totally* safe guys! I think I nailed the lighting in this particular photo! They offered rides for all ages, including these for the little kiddies. Zamperla Up Up & Away balloon ride for the little kiddies! I took a few rides on it for the heck of it and I gotta say it's a neat little attraction! Also peep the Zero Gravity in the background. The kids were losing their minds on Moby Dick. This ride is typically one of the most popular here. The folks on the Sizzler seemed to enjoy getting whipped around like scrambled eggs on a skillet! There was no Flatline 360 this year so instead we got the Himalaya, which appeared to be attracting a decent crowd! As always, the light show and mic man were top-notch, and it appears they've added a new purple and green roof and a wall in the center with a snowy background. There were dozens of cars lined up on Main Street for the Car Show! M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E! Amogus! Bull Ridin'! And that's a wrap! It was nice to be back here again and I can't wait for next year's festival! Hope you all enjoyed this trip report!

I would like to add that PBJ Happee Days Shows of Marion, AR owns a Wisdom Cobra Coaster. In fact, they seem to be a Wisdom Wonderland with quite a few Wisdom pieces: -Moby Dick -Himalaya -Cobra Coaster -Area 51 (since 2012 it now has LED’s from Denny’s electronics) -Sizzler (since 2018 it now has LED’s) So yeah they own 5 rides from Wisdom. They’ve had the Gravitron, Sizzler, and Moby Dick since the 2000’s and I believe they purchased the Cobra Coaster in 2007 or 2008. The Gravitron was re-themed as the Area 51 with a new light package in 2012 and that summer they got the Wisdom Himalaya which has consistently been one of the top 3 rides on the show (along with the Moby Dick and the KMG Inversion called Flatline 360).

Honestly my favs there are the Aviator and Pharaoh’s Fury. I don’t really care for the other rides except for the Tower, Carousel, Wheel, and the Train. Speaking of which, have they gotten rid of the fish artwork on the blue train? Blue’s my fav color and I rlly liked that train because the artwork was cool. Now it just looks like the red train (which they also seem to have refurbished) but in blue, and neither train has the car that has the back-most seat facing backwards anymore.

Why did Kemah Boardwalk get rid of the Chance Inverter and Wipeout? Was it a popularity issue? I know some Inverters have had maintenance issues (Kemah’s was closed quite a lot) but the Wipeout seemed like it was pretty popular and usually ran with a full load and the Inverter (which was replaced with the Flare, a Larson Ring of Fire/Fire Ball but a bigger model than the ones you see at carnivals/fairs) commanded long lines during busy periods too. However they have replaced the Wipeout with the HypnoSpin (a Tilt-A-Whirl ride; tbh you can find the Tilt at a fair, Wipeouts aren’t as common).