far studio gallery

A small carnival came to Oakhurst a few weeks back and I got to watch them set things up. They started arriving on Tuesday, had it mostly set up by Wednesday, opened on Thursday, and left on Monday to go off to another site. There were about ten rides and various games and concession stands.

Corey and I spoke briefly with a woman, Patricia, who was setting up the carnival. They do this almost every week in a different location year round. There are two other carnival groups that are part of their same company here in California.

Setting Up

Patricia

Patricia was from Mariposa near here and had been with the Carnival for about a year.

Setting Up

Tornado

Carnival by Night

There was a great deal of beauty and artistry that went into making these rides. I made a point of coming back when it was dark to capture the magic of the lights.

Himalaya

Carousel Horses

Carousel Top

Dark Carnival

It was interesting to walk around the carnival the night before it opened. The lights were on the amusements, but it was almost completely deserted.

Candy Stand

Thriller

The scariest-looking amusement was the fun house dedicated to Michael Jackson. That’s a pretty frightening idea all by itself.

Michael Jackson

I had intended to return to the carnival and spend some time there while it was open. Unfortunately, I ran over a deer antler and punctured a tire, so my car was out of commission for the weekend.

The carnival may have been small, but it was a wonderful photo opportunity.

Carnival Reflections