The midway of Coleman Brothers Shows has been stated over the years as the “Largest and Brightest Show in the Northeast” and in keeping with this slogan Coleman’s have added attractions each and every year; with the most recent purchases of an Italian Children’s Train and Funhouse, and the newly converted “Ring of Fire” which is also known as the “Ball of Fire” offering its coaster like open seating that spins you in a 360 degree loop upside down, the “Raiders” children’s obstacle challenge and of course the newest of all its major attractions the Zipper; a ride that will spin you, rotate you and flip you upside down in every imaginable direction.
What has changed for the carnival industry, as a whole, is the cost of doing business. What one would pay for a major attraction now is paid for in purchasing a simple children’s ride. As with any other business costs have increased for expenses and this includes fuel, which is the main requirement in providing the electricity from the monster side generators, which is to say just one of the generators alone could power a small town, and then of course the fuel of the many vehicles that carry the payloads of entertainment across the thousands of miles traveled each year by the carnival. What has Coleman Brothers Shows done to offset this cost? They have tightened the belts like any other business but what they have not done is change the value of entertainment provided to your fair every year. In fact because many of the major amusement parks have experience the same cost increases that carnival has become more of a value when compared dollar to dollar. This is not to mention that the carnival travels right to your town saving you the time and cost of travel to the park, and the disappointment of arriving to find that you favorite rides are shutdown for maintenance or for some other reason.
What stands behind the phrase of “Family Entertainment” is a family in itself. Coleman Brothers Shows incorporated is not just a name or company purchased, but the Coleman family itself. As time has gone on the business has been passed through some five generations and is still one of the only carnivals operated solely by family. The family is present on the midway every day and is the core that has kept this legacy continuing on for more than 90 years. With his parents enjoying their retirement in Florida the reigns have been passed on to Tim Coleman as the Vice President manager and who is responsible for all operations; Tim’s sister Mary Oakes is the Secretary and Treasurer of the Company with her husband Anthony as the Booking agent for the show. One does not need to look far to see the next generation of Coleman’s who are already on the midway; Kristie (Tim & Arlene’s Daughter) and Rachael (Mary & Anthony’s Daughter) both work throughout the summer as Food and Game Concessionaire Managers.
So in keeping with the theme of Coleman Brothers, “Come and Unlock the Magic of Your Imagination and Your Children will Discover the Magic of Theirs”, stop by the Boonville-Oneida County Fair” July 24th – July 29th and see what you have been missing and bring home some memories that are sure to last a lifetime.