8 —Wednesday, July 3, 2019
Mother Lode Fair 2019
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The Rock Star is a popular ride with children and adults alike.
Games of skill and thrill rides will fill themidway Union Democrat staff
the boom, flipping at every rota- tion.” Whew — that explains why he describes this as a ride for thrill seekers and teens. Don’t forget the games — basketball, balloon pop, various ball games. And those prizes — everyone needs a giant monkey, pig or cartoon character. And the kiddie rides. Slide, ride and fly. Too many to list. Maurer has been in the car- nival business for 48 years and travels all over the West doing fairs, city and church events, school festivals. He’s based in Huntington Beach and began working for a
carnival company in 1971. That lasted a few months. He then went into business for himself when he bought a few games. One thing led to another, the business grew and now his crew travels with 20 trucks of games and concessions. “I don’t ever plan to retire,” he said. “It’s just what I want to do.” One-day, unlimited carnival ride wristbands cost $30, or tickets can be purchased indi- vidually. The midway will be alive and ready for its 3 p.m. Thursday start.
There is nothing quite like the magic of a carnival at night — the glow of the humming Fer- ris wheel, the lights etching the sides of the concession stands. A lot of favorites will be back — bumper cars, the Rock Star and, of course, the giant Ferris wheel — along with the Mardi Gras Glass House. Then there is the Zipper. Paul Maurer, who owns the company said it is one of the most popu- lar thrill rides in the country. This is how he describes it on his website: “As the boom rotates, the cages rotate along
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