What is not getting a lot of attention is the crew of people who make them. It turns out that midway concessions is just a side line for them and that their real job is providing support for rescue workers and other emergency personnel when Mother Nature gets nasty. They work for a company called Storm Services, LLC and their job is to provide meals, laundry facilities, sleeping accommodations, showers and other logistical support to those who come to the aid of victims of natural disasters.

When a natural disaster or regional emergency strikes, the logistical challenges can be overwhelming for those involved in relief efforts and restoration operations. Often, large numbers of workers are temporarily relocated, requiring provisional support such as housing, food, water, and sanitary facilities.

Storm Services, LLC specializes in the design, construction, operation, and management of full base camp setups. Well planned solutions are provided for the logistical challenges of emergency relief and restoration operations at single or multiple locations.

It’s not hurricane season (thankfully) but if something bad were to happen, they’d pack up and be on the road within a couple of hours, sort of an emergency response team for emergency responders. These folks have done ice storms, tornadoes and of course hurricanes (including Katrina). But just for fun, and to make a few extra bucks, they will make a mean (and very, very bad for you) cheeseburger for you.

The fine folks at the fair are awarding prizes to the best food stands and rides for the 2010 Florida State Fair. Food stands are eligible for 1st and 2nd place, and there are prizes given to the 1st place adult ride and 1st place child’s ride.

They have asked us at Sticks of Fire to help with the judging – and that’s where you come in. We are giving away free admission to the fair and access to the nominated rides to the first 25 people who are willing to visit these specific rides at specific times TODAY and TOMORROW only. We’ll also need people interested in judging the food stands, but unfortunately, we may not be able to provide food for free (more info will be given to those who sign up – read on).

Judging criteria for food includes overall appearance of staff and food stand, cleanliness of staff (uniformed and sanitary surroundings), quality of the food and taste, and customer service. Some criteria for rides include landscaping or appearance surrounding the ride, performance of the ride and audience enjoyment, ride operator’s appearance, and customer service.

Again, you must be available to meet at specific times (this evening, tomorrow morning, tomorrow afternoon, or tomorrow evening) to qualify for access. You must be willing to ride specific rides OR specific food stands OR both, and fill out a judge sheet. You must be 18 or older, but your children can participate in riding and judging the kiddie rides. Each person will be given a judging sheet to be filled out and turned in before leaving the fair. After you are finished judging, you will be allowed to stay and enjoy the rest of the fair at your leisure.

Here’s how to sign up:

• Go to the Sticks of Fire contact form, and fill it out using valid information – including phone number (your information will not be shared beyond this event).
• Choose “I know the answer to the contest” as your reason for contact.
• In the message box, tell us how many are in your party, and when you can get to the fair. We will also need each person’s name, their favorite part of the Florida State Fair, and which category(ies) (adult rides, food, kids rides) each prefer to judge. (example: 2, Thursday Evening – Tommy Duncan, World of Wonders, Adult Rides & Food – Katie Duncan, Circus, Kid rides)
• You MUST sign up by 8am Thursday (TOMORROW), so we can get you on the list. Once you sign up, you may be contacted at any time from 8am to 8pm (we’ll be starting immediately).

Feel free to leave a comment here, but you must fill out the form at the Sticks of Fire contact page to qualify.

You’ll notice the pitchman talked about the “World’s Champion Sword Swallower.” Along with Pooba (real name Pete Turhurne), sword swallower Red Stuart make up the two oldest sideshow acts still performing.

In addition to swallowing swords, Red has learned how to eat fire, lie on a bed of nails, eat glass, stick pins throughout his body, dance in fire, walk across hot coals, endure electric shocks, and drive nails in his head. He’s been in the business for 43 years.

Jordi wanted to know what happens if you sneeze while a nail is hammered into your head, and we thought Red might be the guy to ask. Little did we know that the question would include a history lesson about ancient Egypt. In hindsight, it makes perfect sense.

Red has also been passing the sideshow tradition on to several kids in his hometown of Philadelphia, as well as those performing with him in the ten-in-one (see Time magazine’s array of really good photos of current performers at the World of Wonders).

Red was kind enough to tell us more about that, how he got started, and his 43 years of Showman life – you can see more of our interview with Red Stuart at YouTube.

By the way, the sideshow costs just a couple of bucks, and the acts inside are family-friendly, and definitely worth the price. At the very least, spend a few minutes outside and enjoy the pitch. The Florida State Fair ends on Monday, and you won’t see the World of Wonders anywhere else nearby…

Sticks reader Michael G. seems skeptical of any local economic impact from the Florida State Fair. Here is his comment:

Just remember folks, the Fair is designed to seperate you from your money…
I would rather spend my money on something that will help the local economy, perhaps by spending the $40-80 that most people spend on food and rides, on my neighbors business/job, so that his full-time job is supported and maybe his house does not go into foreclosure….
Has anyone done a study about whether the Fair is beneficial to the local economy long term, or is is just a way for money to be taken out of the county ?…..
A lot of money changes hands a the Fair.
Can anyone show or prove that it’s a good long term financial contributor to the local economy ?
There certainly are few if any high paying jobs with benefits associated with the Fair….

A fair (heh) question, don’t you think? Let’s find some of the answers…

Back in 2006, USF analyzed The Economic Contributions of the Florida State Fair Authority, using numbers from FY 2004-2005. The study concluded that:

Annually, the Florida State Fair Authority’s economic contribution to Hillsborough County is:

• • 1,023 jobs,
• • $142.6 million of sales, and
• • money wages and salaries over $35.6 million.

Additionally, the net of local tax revenue over local tax expenditures attributable to the Florida State Fair Authority is nearly $1.9 million per year.

This economic activity, which begins in Hillsborough County, ripples through a broader marketplace to produce incrementally greater contributions throughout the Tampa Bay region and the state of Florida. The cumulative contributions are:

Tampa Bay – 1,183 jobs, $160.4 million of sales, and over $40.5 million in wages.

Florida – 1,267 jobs, $171.4 million of sales, and over $43.3 million in wages.

Of course, these sort of studies include magical formulas designed to make economists feel smarter than you and I. So I like to focus on those things I can understand.

First of all, how much of YOUR money is thrown around, and where does it come from? In 2009, 466,733 people paid $3,119,360 to get in the Florida State Fair – that’s just under $7 per person. You also spend a few bucks on the rides, games, and food. For the privilege of being available to you, each joint must pay rent to be at the fairgrounds. For exhibitors, rent is $150 per foot front, for concessions, it’s $165 to $225 per foot front (2010). Vendors inside the Expo Hall pay up to $3600 plus electricity. That adds up to a bunch of cash.

To be sure, plenty of that money spent by the Fair goes outside the county, but a significant portion of it stays right here – think TECO for setting up the electricity, waste management, Hillsborough County Sheriffs for security, local newspapers and TV for advertising, etc. In addition to all of that, they actually DO have a decent sized full time staff with benefits.

In 2005, the FSFA had a full time staff of 53 people, earning over $2,000,000 ($40K+ average), and another 700 part time & fair time people who make about $1,000 each (USF study pdf page 13). This year, the FSFA employed between 60 and 70 people full-time.

Perhaps Michael is thinking about the traveling show folks. The people working for the traveling vendors make a few bucks during the fair and then just head to the next town, spending it there, right? Well, many of the carnies here just came from a show in West Palm, and so Tampa is the “next town” that gets that benefit. I saw many roadies heading out late after work to hit up a local pub or perhaps the nearby casino. In addition, although many sleep in trailers or bunkhouses on the fairgrounds (and that’s not free, either), some of them stay at a local hotel for the duration of the fair.

What about the ride & concession owners? Alot of these people are from elsewhere, but not every vendor is from out of state. Pipo’s has at least one outdoor stand, and Alessi’s has a handful of purchase points. And even some of the traveling shows are based here in Florida. Deggellar Attractions of Stuart, FL, brought eleven rides, Wade Shows has an office in Florida, and both Myers International Midways and Reithoffer Shows have a big presence at the Florida State Fair, and are both based in Gibsonton, home to perhaps the best known showmen’s club in the nation.

One more thing… About 22% of those nearly half a million visitors to the fair are from Hillsborough County. Another 33%ish are from nearby counties, and they may buy gas here & such. That leaves nearly 45% of visitors from outside the area (USF study pdf page 15), many of which spend at least one night in a local hotel (this stuff is part of those economists’ magic formulas).

So, Michael is right when he says “a lot of money changes hands” at the fair, but just like any business who wants to separate you from your dough, it seems to me that a significant portion of that money gets spent again right here in Tampa Bay, and goes to help your neighbors from going into foreclosure.

It’s not known exactly who invented the corn dog or when. Wikipedia cites an article that appeared in The New Yorker magazine in 1947 that mentions “corn dog stands”, which further proves that the accomplishments of The Greatest Generation were not limited to World War II heroics. Some baked concoction called a “korn dog” dates back as far as 1929, but we’re not going to count that. Baked? Feh. It was probably downright good for you, packed with riboflavin and stuff. Who wants that?

No, when we visit the fair, we want to take a hot dog, jam a stick into it, dunk it in cornbread batter and above all else, we want it FRIED!

And that is exactly what we got when we visited George’s Fun Foods on the midway at the 2010 Florida State Fair…

Manager Jim Sheffield and his crew (Aunt Carol and Todd) were extremely accommodating in allowing us access to their kitchen. In addition to the cooking lesson, I learned that when it’s time to hit the road, Jim and his crew can get one of those stands completely clean (and I don’t know if you could tell from the video, but it really was spotless), broken down and hooked up to a truck in two hours time. But the main thing I learned is to go easy on the batter, or risk breaking your stick.

A feast for the eyes, belly, soul and belly. Strolling around the grounds on opening day with Tommy Duncan, we probably looked like the world’s ugliest gay couple (100% my fault; Tommy is quite fetching. I’m just sayin’) and we got a chance to see some interesting things.

We’ll have more photos (and video too!) to share with you as soon as we can, but here are a few quick snapshots:

Here’s (some of) the day in pictures….

Arrived at 12:48PM. Spotted my first mullet at 12:56PM.

Every year, all of us wonder what crazy thing is getting battered and deep fried. This year, everyone seems excited about deep fried butter. That allows the pictured abomination to exist slightly off the radar. It’s a bacon cheeseburger on two Krispy Kreme donuts instead of a hamburger bun. Just typing that drove my cholesterol up 40 points.

“Mommy, daddy! I wanna ride the giant… umm… giant… uh… swings!”

Apparently, Thursday was Drag Queen Day in the poultry & rabbits pavilion. Didn’t catch this one’s name. Might’a been Elton or something.

Midway royalty! The gentleman on the left (yeah, in the picture on the right) is the legendary Pooba, The Fire-Eating Pygmy, a fixture at the fair and other carnival midway shows for as long as just about anyone can remember.

Awwwwwwww!!! Look at the cute baby goats, only 20 minutes old when this picture was taken! Ewww, what’s that hanging there?

This ride is called “Pirates of the Sea.” More like “Pirates of the Dangerously Close to Copyright Infringement,” if you ask me.

There is a wide variety of goods and services available at the Florida State Fair. Probably some you didn’t expect.

People often seem to have a similar impression of show workers. Before they kindly ask if you want an Elephant Ear, before they encourage you to try one dart for free, before they suggest you simply can’t miss the World’s Smallest Woman, the carnies must first build the fair. And can you imagine what goes into setting up for an eleven day fair?

I’ve been on the Florida State Fairgrounds for several hours now, walking around the Midway, The agriculture section, World Village, Equestrian Center, Cracker Country, the Expo Hall, and in, out, between, and behind all of those places. Everywhere I go, lots of people are picking up, delivering, putting together, repairing, cleaning (I took a few short videos), training (seals were practicing!), feeding and who knows what else. FSF Marketing guru Denise says there are well over a thousand folks here setting up. And I rarely saw someone stop for more than a couple of minutes.

Some have been here for a couple days, and many just got in late last night from a show in West Palm. Today, none look rushed or panicked, but they are all in a rhythm, and definitely all business.

The exception might be the Expo Hall, where people have been loading in all day, but none taking more than a couple hours to get set, and maybe a couple more to take their time setting up. The folks there are much more laid back, yet I can’t say they look relaxed. As opposed to the show, food, game, & ride workers, these people already seem worn out.

Tomorrow, they will all be selling, selling, and selling. Keep up with the Fair here on Sticks, and more often on the Florida State Fair 2010 Facebook page (become a fan!).

In an attempt to get involved with social media, some folks at the fair thought it might be neat for a local blogger to come in and show everyone what goes on behind the scenes.  But I get the impression that they think bloggers are insane.

Here’s the pitch as I first heard it:

… come out the day prior to the Fair and blog about what happens… Then, spend the night on the fairgrounds, to explore and wander the grounds… Then, stay for opening day at the Fair with an all-access pass to get behind the scenes. That night, spend the night in Cracker Country…

“Spend the night in Cracker Country??”  That’s just creepy.

Basically, it sounds like a couple of marketers got together and just wrote down the wackiest stuff they could come up with, in an attempt to convince some insane blogger to go along with it. Of course, shortly after meeting with them, I found myself digging into the hurricane kit, grabbing batteries and flashlights.

Now, let’s be clear on a couple of things:

1. I am getting paid for this.
2. I won’t write a load of crap.

Seriously. I won’t be writing a rosy assessment of anything – that makes for lame reading and even lamer writing. They did make a suggestion or two, but have not given me any specific topics to cover. They also said nothing is off the table. In fact, they wanted to be clear that where I go and what I write about is completely up to me.

And so it will be up to you.

Is the needlework competition fixed? Of the 150 free things to do at the fair, which is the most boring? Could Tommy win any of the agricultural contests? A Bat-copter – really?

Curious to find out Kachunga’s nickname? I’ll get it. Want to know which razor the Bearded Lady uses? I can find out. Wonder if the Hollywood Racing Pigs eat bacon? I will film it. If you want, I’ll find out what’s REALLY in the Deep Fried Snickers on a Stick.

I will be at the fair from Wednesday to Friday this week, hanging with carnies, FFA kids, RV salesmen, and looking for Kachunga.  And I really want to know what you are curious about. Please leave a comment, and I will follow up.

Also, if you have any helpful hints on sleeping in a 140 year old building, don’t be shy.