By Mark David Blum

As my daughter and I rode the large ferris wheel and enjoyed the sights and lights of the fairgrounds at night, she looked at the midway and said, “Dad, they don’t have very many rides down there.”

Taken aback and considering how many miles I have walked around the midway, I decided to test her theory. As much as I hate to admit it, not only is my child correct in her assessment but we fairgoers are being ripped off.

Let us survey shall we: This year, the midway hosts, among others: 2 Ferris wheels, 2 Pirates, 4 Himalayas, 2 Terminators, 4 fun houses, 3 bumper cars, and at least six fake tattoo places.

The more I thought of it, I began to remember some of the rides of years gone past that Strates has either removed from its roster or Dan O’Hara banned from the fairgrounds. Does anybody remember the Double Ferris Wheel, or the Roller Coaster, or the Water Rides, or the Aerial tramway? It seems that every year, Strates is bringing fewer ride choices and focuses only on the handful of cash cows. Seems like such a waste to buy $20 worth of tickets when all you get is four rides.

When I approached the Strates headquarters today, I wanted to talk to Jimmy Sr. and thank him for at least considering me for the Fair. As I spoke with one of his Lieutenants, I was told that Jimmy was gone. When I inquired when he was coming back, I was told he was not. He has gone home to Florida.

Perhaps next year before the contracts are signed and the midway is planned, someone will put an eye on variation. Fairgoers are entitled to a real midway not just 5 different rides with six different copies thereof.

Dan has to take the blame. Either Strates is no longer financially viable and unable to provide a quality midway or the State Fair has gone cheap and is cutting back on enjoyment. Either way, year by year, we are losing more and more of the fair. That is a sad shame.

Do you remember rides that once were but are no longer? I bet you can come up with a few that I have forgotten.

Is it just me?