Emma and Madison Barry enjoy one of the rides at a Carroll County firemen’s carnival.
Firemen’s carnivals have it all: rides, games of chance, music, and of course, food. They are, in fact, a feast for the senses.
The rides, adorned with multi-colored lights, enliven the evening sky and can be seen for miles. As patrons stroll down carnival fairways, arcade barkers vie for attention over the sound of the revolving game wheels.
Occasionally, someone being tossed in one of the rides shrieks in glee. Food courts flood the summer air with the toasty, oily, salty smell of french fried potatoes mingled with scents of buttered popcorn, spicy pizza and other tasty treats.
This summer, Carroll County will play host to 11 firemen’s carnivals. They range in size from the small, such as Harney’s, to the gigantic, like Reese’s. All depend on volunteers to cook and serve food, man the various fire company booths, as well as manage parking and cleanup operations.
Carnivals have been a staple of firehouse fund raising for decades. Sykesville Freedom District Fire Department held its first in October of 1933. Fire engine rides were a popular attraction, and hot dogs at a newly constructed concession stand could be bought for a nickel. After a six-night run, the event was deemed successful. It showed a profit of $350.
Nowadays, profits are well into five figures. An official with The Hampstead Fire Company reported recently that their affair usually clears about $40,000. Weather often plays a role in their success. Since the carnival dates cannot be rescheduled, a night or two of rain, especially on a weekend, can literally dampen the bottom line.
Planning for carnivals gets started months in advance, according to Doug Wheeler, a member of the Manchester Carnival Committee. The committee held its first meeting in March, about four months before the event.
“We need to book the entertainment and order the food well ahead of time to make sure we get what we want,” said Wheeler.
The Manchester carnival, held around the Fourth of July, always includes a spectacular fireworks display. This year, Manchester is celebrating the 125th anniversary of its fire company’s founding, so patrons can look forward to a particularly entertaining week, with an opening day parade through town.
At a fire company’s carnival, you can usually tell how good the musical entertainment is going to be by how many lawn chairs and blankets are set up in front of the stage before the band starts. Most carnivals feature local talent, and the bands range from bluegrass to rock and roll. The regional papers print the daily lineups in advance, or you can just go to the fire department’s web site, which will also give other useful information, such as the feature dinner for each night.
Fire companies contract with a provider for the rides and arcade games, in return for a percentage of their revenue. One of their providers is D & K Amusements, which is owned and operated by Manchester residents Derek and Kitty Long. They handle a number of Carroll carnivals, as well as others in surrounding counties. Derek and Kitty are members of the Maryland State Showmen’s Association, a trade organization that promotes and assists the amusement profession in and around Maryland.
As part of its typical package, D&K supplies about 30 amusements, along with some food concessions. Kitty said their most grueling work starts as soon as a carnival ends, usually late Saturday night. That is when their crew does its teardown, which takes from four to six hours. Then it is off to the next location, where setup takes place all day Sunday. Everything must be in perfect working order by Monday morning, when a government examiner conducts a thorough safety inspection.
Because every carnival site varies in size and layout, Derek always scouts the location in advance and maps out where everything will be positioned. The season for D&K runs from April through October and they handle around 30 separate events, each lasting a week or so. Some amusement companies operate year round, traveling south when the weather dictates.
D & K employs about 30 personnel.
“Most of our people live in the area and work for us part time to supplement their day jobs,” said Kitty. Some stay overnight on the carnival grounds in “the bunkhouse,” an outfitted trailer that travels with their caravan. All employees assist in the assembly and disassembly of the equipment and stands, as well as operating the amusements.
The most popular ride, according to Kitty, is still the ferris wheel. D&K has a variation called the Century Wheel, which features carousel seating instead of the traditional bench. The Orbiter is another favored attraction, especially with teens.
Tops in among the arcade games, however, are water-pistol competitions, in which patrons compete for a large stuffed animal or other prize by aiming their high-powered water guns at a target.
Carnival gambling, or gaming, is varied. Bingo is still played with corn kernels for markers. Raffles are offered for chances to win cold cash, or maybe a brand new Ram pickup truck; even a beautiful handmade quilt. There are also the money wheel, the candy wheel and the ham wheel. If you do not win, at least be assured that your losings go to a good cause.
Did I mention the food? Carnivals offer everything from a family-style full-course dinner to a steaming roast beast sandwich. There is fried chicken that Colonel Sanders would have to salute, as well as grilled sausage hoagies, piled high with fried peppers and onions.
And as if that was not enough, there is snack time. If you are like my wife, the night would not be complete without cotton candy or a caramel apple (she always gets both). And I would be remiss to not mention the infamous funnel cake, which is either loved or hated; there is no middle ground.
So go for the fun of it, but keep in mind that you are helping to fund equipment, building maintenance, and other items necessary to keep our fire companies ready and able to keep their communities safe.
When and Where
All carnivals are open from approximately 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.
May 29-June 5
Gamber Community Fire Company
3838 Niner Road, Finksburg
May 31-June 5
Union Bridge Fire Company
8 West Locust Street, Union Bridge
June 7-June 12
New Windsor Fire Company
101 High Street, New Windsor
June 14-June 19
Taneytown Fire Company
49 Memorial Drive, Taneytown
June 21-June 26
Sykesville-Freedom Fire Company
6680 Sykesville Road, Sykesville
July 5-July 10
Manchester Fire Company
3400 Locust Street, Manchester
July 5-July 10
Harney Fire Company
5130 Harney Road, Taneytown
July 12-July 17
Winfield Fire Company
1320 West Old Liberty Road, Sykesville
July 19-July 24
Reese Fire Company
1745 Baltimore Boulevard, Westminster
July 26-July 31
Mount Airy Fire Company
1008 Twin Arch Road, Mount Airy
August 16-August 21
Hampstead Fire Company
1341 North Main Street, Hampstead
September 23-September 26
Westminster Fallfest
Westminster City Park, Westminster
