It's hard work setting up and tearing down rides I'm a carnival worker myself from a small province Nova Scotia Canada... The show I work for us called hincheys rides and amusement

this is so hilariously out of tune

It would be great to see more carnival trains again.

A camel is not a domesticated animal!!! Get your facts straight before you say it kid

Thank you for sharing this clip. I had the good fortune of seeing and filming Tino's solo act at a Maine Shrine Circus date around 1979 - 80. I was particularly moved by this clip as I, too, worked in circus. This was a nice, sincere and open look behind the scenes, a bit. Working as a performer such as any of these folks requires a built-in desire to do so. It's clearly not for everybody. My years on the Beatty-Cole show, 1982-90, showed me a lot of things one doesn't see by living in one place all the time, for instance.

This isn't a run of the mill carnival. That Ferris Wheel was colossal along with the Swing ride and merry-go-round.

If I was a ringmaster I'd stand on a podium and perform in a big top.

I know that guy!

So do they give you some training if you aren't really mechanically inclined

I want a circus wifey :/

My dad Popcorn traveled and performed on Kelly Miller! And we lived in New Jersey near Mine Hill & Old Bridge when I was young.

This is great! I miss the old showmen. I am so glad these memories have been captured on video.

Charlie frey

I once tried to get a job working rides at a carnival but sadly the boss said because i was a women i couldn't do the job but in this video there happens to be a female worker working on a ride near the end

A bit of carnival minutia -A circus SHIP caught fire in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia in 1967. Just after being loaded. One animal a zebra died in the fire. The lion cage (full of lions) did not break open after being dropped accidentally onto the dock!

Born and raised in the carnival business 5 generations the best family business ever

This video has been on my watch later list for a while. My wife and I traveled with Strates '98-99. She was a ticket seller and I started out on the Muzik Express,worked 2nd man on the Zipper and was the Foreman of the Starship 2000. My wife used to help me setup and teardown the Starship. Also worked other rides setting up and or tearing down. Lived on train also. Worked 120 hours one week, Strates came back to York Pennsylvania where I live last year, Jimmy and John wanted to know if we'd come back 😂. Miss the train though, too bad it got too expensive for them. I miss some of them, Chico passed away, old man passed and the ride supes are gone. Where the voice over of Chico is tearing down the Double Carousel, FACTS, we all stuck together, we were in our own world and outside looking in, you wouldn't understand. It's extremely hard work. We had a good group 98-99.

thanks for sharing brings back chikdhood memories

this video is so so awesome great job keep up the good work

Culpeper Merriweather came to our small town in the middle of no where this year. My kids were so pleased with the show. We enjoyed and were thankful they came.

Thank you so much for sharing this! It's been invaluable for research!

I LOVE LEO THE CLOWN❤❤heart

very poor attention to safety during tear down.

I use to work for the carnivals for 20+ years. I help setup teardowns and operate the ride's. I loved it. Im retired now. And im a female

Nice

Gary is amazing traveled with him for many years with the Royal Hanneford circus ❤

The Operations Director was right. People always want to sit on their lazy butts and earn money. As soon as they have to carry something heavy or mop a floor, they want the whole world to know about it! (4:14)

I love documentaries, seems like that’s all I watch now. I remember growing up seeing David Attenborough always on the tv and frontline etc.. I hated them because there wasn’t anyone jumping cars or jumping women. Lol. However, to sit and watch this is terribly difficult because men like this aren’t being born anymore. I’m so ashamed at America sometimes when I see the things that used to never happen or things weren’t allowed, now it’s just a free for all and morals are just as dead and gone as ww2.

I loved the sideshows in the 70's as a kid. The freaky stuff fascinated me as did all the tapestry artwork. Look at pecker head the neanderthal behind Ward at the beginning!

I remember as a kid, in the late 50's and 60's, the show would roll into my hometown of Endicott, NY, in the Erie-Lackawanna railroad. We had the train tracks about 50 yards in back of our house, so we would get to chat with the carnival workers. I never knew that he was buried in Endicott.

Wow. Carnival days!

Does anyone know if these guys are still in business? I wondered if this type of job dried up during Covid ? All the workers scattered ?

Those are def the largest mutton chops I have ever seen.

This may be my future. I've always wanted to be a ride operator and I hate computers because they constantly change format and I seem to end up serving them rather than them serve me. I'm Autistic and the rigidness of computers and having to do things in one way only is not good for neurodiversity. The computer demands information from me blindly and after I give it everything it wants it may OR MAY NOT do what I want. At least rides they set-up the same and tear-down the same every time so I know what to expect. Plus all of the visual stims and a subculture to belong to interests me.

I believe I’ve seen them in the Anah Shrine circus in Bangor, Maine every year

I worked at a carnaval #1 rule Money before safety . #2 do not pay the help .

BTW, those arrows at the end were directional markers that showed the drivers and circus people how to get to the lot. It was very common back in the day. It was an important part of the circus operation that has been lost, it was so cool. Every show had their own kind of arrows and it's kinda fun tid bit of circus history....

What a great video of a small circus, my brother worked with them for a few years and he really loved it .

Such an undertaking! Being Trainmaster isn't easy!!

Depression is a monster that slowly sneaks up on you. Only someone who has been through it can really understand. Thank you for this video. May that young lady rest in peace.

I loved working for a show

you join a show you have two families your biological and your show family you are like brothers and sisters

Was born in '81, Elmira NY, and James E. Strates has always been good to our city. Even though it was set up in Horseheads NY, Elmirans would naturally travel up the road to enjoy the festivities. Just a sidenote: I was there when they first debuted the Chance Rainbow ride, in '87, and rode it half the evening. A few other standouts that I've always adored were the Sea Ray, Flying Bobs, Himalaya, Ring of Fire, Gravitron...the list goes on! Seriously, nothing compares to '80s James E. Strates! Thank you wholeheartedly for all the wonderful retro memories you've provided throughout the years.

THIS HOW YOU REALLY TRAIN AN ELEPHANT kzbin.info/www/bejne/qX6qiKGYe9VmY5o

It's nice to see and hear a talented outside and inside talker. Imagine getting hired by Ward Hall and Chris Christ! And I see you also got to work with Pete Terhune.

Mr. Strates, good 👍 point about USMC being a good management teacher. I think military 🪖 is overall, BUT not as much as it did in the past. 21 years in the Army and I saw things getting soft, less discipline....

Poobah! One of my favorite performers! He was the best.

Looks like a great show! And bouncers in the blow off! I'd love to hear the inside lecture on that. That's an impressive banner line, too.

Very honest and off the cuff, if it's not hard enough already to move a tent show there always seems to be an inspector who has a thing against the circuses...

Yes I remember helping to tear down a ride for a carnival show & yes to put each part of the ride on a trailer & ready for travel! 🙂 Lots of hard work to make a show happen! 🙂🙂