Carnivals With Coastes?

Does anyone know of any midwest fairs or carnivals that have roller coasters (other than the usual kiddie coasters)? I know there is the IX Indoor Amusement Park in Cleveland during the spring, but I was looking for other traveling shows to hit this summer. Thanks for your help!

Save up some money and make a trip to the San Diego County Fair at the Del Mar Fairgrounds. I think it is in early June. They have an awsome Hi Miler and a spinning mouse, as well as some great and unique flat rides.

Strates Shows, which travels up and down the east coast, has a Pinfari Zyklon (a Z40 model). It's not much, but it is a credit.

The local Fair the comes every summer has a kiddie coaster with very small hills.

The Wisconsin State Fair typically has a Zyklon.

The Minnesota State Fair typically has a Reverchon spinning mouse and a different Zyklon. I believe it's also the largest fair in the midwest.

-Nate

Cali state fair had 5 coasters this year including a Hi Miler and what looked like a Maurer Sohne spinning coaster.

Amusements of America travels with a Reverchon Crazy Mouse and a Zyklon named Avalanche (which I believe was once the Holiday World Firecracker). Not sure if they go to the midwest but they definitely travel in the northeast.

Reithoffer Shows has (had?) a Flitzer in one of their travelling units.

Not sure of its current status. At its last appearance at the York Fair (York PA) in 2001 a young boy was injured and died after riding it and it has not made an appearance at the fair since. I'm under the assumption that it is still on the curcuit, but that it just doesn't make an appearance in York anymore... but I could be wrong.

I'm not 100% sure what a Flitzer is, but I know Reithoffer does the WV State Fair, and there is an Anton portable themed to cars (I think its called something like Racer or something), so not sure if thats a Flitzer or not.

The last Porta-coaster i saw was at the Cuyahoga County fair like 15-20 years ago. It was a Wildcat, and took the crew about 5 hrs to assemble it... rode it once, scared the tar outta me the way the track swayed...

---

TeknoScorpion said:
Reithoffer does the WV State Fair, and there is an Anton portable themed to cars (I think its called something like Racer or something), so not sure if thats a Flitzer or not.

---

That would be the one.

Who actually designed this style of coaster? Some cases (as in Reithoffer's little sign on the ride) credit it to Schwarkopf, while places like RCDB credit Flitzers to them to Zierer. (Or did A.S. simply design them for Zierer?)

Anyway... at its last appearance at the York Fair, it was running with out seat belts. Does it still run that way (after the accident and all)?

Yay! I learned something this morning:).

I'm not 100% sure if it has been @ the Fair since 2000, as I have not been to the state fair in the last 3 years. I was going this year, but it was the week of my first ever trip to CP, so I couldn't go. But the ride was still running(sans belts) in 2000 at our fair. But thats a year too early.

I will be going next year, and I'll make sure to check. I only rode it a couple times, never did anything for me, but it has the distinction of being my first (and so far only 1 of 2) Anton coaster, and my only carnival coaster. I'll try and remember to ask someone this week if it was there this year.

There was an informative thread at one point I don't feel like searching for with an older list of midways with coasters in it linked. If someone finds it, I'm sure it will answer some of the origional posters queston.

I am pretty sure that Schwarzkopf designed the Flitzers for Zierer but I'm not positive.

Speaking of which, I understand that Jenkinson's Flitzer (Point Pleasant NJ) is being removed. That leaves only two left on the Jersey Shore (Wildwood & Ocean City)... too bad, since I never rode the Jenkinsons ride.

Wow, I hadn't heard of the Flitzer before...they look really cool!

http://www.rcdb.com/quicksearch.htm?quicksearch=Flitzer

Neat little rides... the one at Ocean City NJ is pretty slow but the one at Morey's Pier is like a little Jet Star.

Flitzers are hella-fun! ;)

---

Rob Ascough said:
I am pretty sure that Schwarzkopf designed the Flitzers for Zierer but I'm not positive.

---

I can add another *vote of confidence* for that theory, Rob...

bill, AKA "that weird guy who marathoned IB's Tig'rr (hands ALL the way up) by himself for an hour at LoCoWeekend"...:)

---

Rob Ascough said:
I am pretty sure that Schwarzkopf designed the Flitzers for Zierer but I'm not positive.

---

It was Anton's older brother Franz Schwarzkopf who designed the Flitzer for Zierer.

*** Edited 12/1/2004 9:06:21 PM UTC by Jeffrey Seifert***

Wow...that's almost a tongue twister ;)

mOOSH

I didn't realize those Flitzer's were prety popular models. I got a ride on the Ocean City one the weekend of PPP and as Moosh said it was hella-fun!

It seems that carnivals seem to get slimmer pickings on rides each year. I remember even our little town of LaGrange was able to afford some decent rides for the yearly Lions Festival and that has diminished greatly since 1990. I seem to remember our county fair having much more to do as well? Are insurance costs to blame?

~Rob Willi