Many San Benito County schools beat the weekend crowds and took
field trips to the 2006 San Benito County Fair on Friday to take
advantage of Kids Day.
Many San Benito County schools beat the weekend crowds and took field trips to the 2006 San Benito County Fair on Friday to take advantage of Kids Day.
Most schools arrived at 10am and stayed until 2pm. The fair provides rides, games, a train ride and even a way for students to show off for their fellow classmates.
“Some of the kids have animals,” said Nancy Nelson, mother of Calvary Christian School student Bradley Nelson. “It’s been fun to go see their classmates’ entries.”
The 40 fifth- and sixth-grade students from Calvary Christian attended Kids Day from 9am to 2:30pm, Nelson said. Bradley Nelson, 10, said his favorite ride is Scooter, the bumper cars. Thankfully for parents like Nelson, the cars do not go too fast, she said.
Even ride operators get a kick out of Kids Day.
“It’s great,” first-time ride operator Leonard Parker said. “They make people happy.”
The favorite ride for children younger than 6 is the Dragon Wagon, a small roller coaster. For ages 6 to 12 the Tilt-a-Whirl is a favorite. And for 12 and older it is Zendar, a ride that lifts off the ground while spinning rapidly, forcing riders against its walls, Parker said.
Hollister SDA Christian School student Caitlin Zako, 12, said she and her friends like the Tilt-a-Whirl because it “goes really fast,” and “your head gets stuck.”
The rides at the 2006 fair are in good hands.
Paul Mauer Shows Inc. is in its 14th year providing fairs around California, Nevada and Oregon with rides and games. The success of the rides varies from year to year, said Paul McIntosh, show manager for Mauer Shows. For many, the fair can be a luxury, he said.
“It depends on the weather,” McIntosh said. “Like in this area it depends on the harvest crops.”
McIntosh, in his 12th year with Mauer Shows, runs a crew of 65 operators and mechanics.
It takes the Fontana, Calif.-based crew a day and a half to set up all the rides, concession stands and games. They even bring their own bunks to sleep in on the grounds during one of the 48 weeks they are on the road.
