When the Delaware State Fairgrounds open July 17, the organization will mark 106 years of service, agriculture, and community engagement with a new museum in Memorial Hall, alongside exhibits from the local 4-H and Future Farmers of America.
“Our staff, family, and friends of the fair have worked tirelessly to develop a small tribute to what makes the fair great,” said Danny Aguilar, general manager of the Delaware State Fair. “We were fortunate to build upon the research and collections that began during our centennial celebration back in 2019. For years, we’ve envisioned a museum that showcases this amazing fair and the many stories collected through the decades. This is a dream fulfilled, and we are excited to share it with our guests.”
After more than a century of harvesting old-fashioned family fun, the DSF has grown from its origins as the four-day Kent and Sussex County Fair – an exhibition of agriculture and circus entertainment – into a 10-day statewide celebration, drawing nearly 307,000 visitors to a 300-acre campus shared with the Harrington Raceway and Casino. The new DSF museum is slated to open at 12 noon on opening day and is expected to run concurrently with the fair, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. through July 26.
For some, the museum is an opportunity to reminisce about simpler times, when state fair admission was under a dollar (but parking still cost 25 cents) and the circus came to town by train. For others, it will be a retrospective of how the organization and technology have evolved. The carnival is now self-powered and arrives on flatbed trucks equipped with generators and sleeper bunks. According to DSF representative Carly Callahan, old-fashioned “side show” acts are more politically correct these days – less about “freaks” and more about optical illusions.
One constant, Callahan said, is the skill and ingenuity of Delaware’s farm community and agricultural leaders, who continue to show off prize-winning livestock and super-size vegetables at the fair.
“We became established through the livestock and agriculture, and then it became more of an entertainment hub,” she said. “But our focus has remained on the agricultural community. Sometimes you see a giant squash or a huge pumpkin – it all depends on the year.”
THE HELP
Each summer, Wade Shows brings a full-scale carnival to Harrington. Along with the rides, games, and entertainment comes an operation of skilled technicians required to operate and maintain large equipment. There’s a quiet underground of traveling professionals who communicate online, sharing job opportunities, insider info, and expertise.
George Tobias, a member of the Showman’s Association of Arizona, has worked with traveling shows that provide games, rides, and entertainment at fairs nationwide. He also runs a Facebook group called The Carni Cartel, where carnival workers post job listings and trade industry tips. His focus is on the behind-the-scenes work that ensures each show is safe and functional.
“The industry we are in functions together, and in many cases more professionals are involved than are seen on the surface, such as the maintenance and repair department,” Tobias said. “Many of our staff hold technical accreditations and certifications, and our industry comprises numerous departments, including food and concessions, games, HR, safety, maintenance, and electrical.”
Briana Vasquez-Peragine is one of those professionals. Originally from Connecticut, she recently graduated from Florida International University with a degree in hospitality and tourism management. Instead of a traditional internship, she’s spent the past year traveling with different carnival operations. She documents her experience as a “Carnie” on TikTok and Instagram as @BriVP.
“I wanted to travel for a year and make money after graduation,” she said. “Since I started, the Carnie videos have really taken off, so I’ve become more consistent with them.”
She says the job has allowed her to see the country – but not without a price. Days are long and physically demanding, and safety is always top of mind. Vasquez-Peragine typically works games and prefers to be on the microphone, tempting passersby to try their luck. She sets up an hour before opening, works 12 to 16 hours, and breaks down after close.
She usually stays in worker bunks mounted on flatbed trailers. The spaces are small – just a bed and a shelf – but she’s not there for the comfort. With nearly 25,000 TikTok followers, she’s there for the experience (and the footage).
“There’s a lot of misconceptions about employees – they get a bad rap,” Vasquez-Peragine said. “Like me, a lot of people do it because they like to travel. You see a different city every week.”
FAMILY-A-FAIR
While the carnival brings in workers from across the country, the fair itself is primarily powered by the local community of farmers and fairgoers who have kept the tradition going for more than 100 years.
Sussex County teacher Debbie Long has attended the Delaware State Fair as long as she can remember. Her father, Harvey Kenton – a retired state representative from Milford – now serves as vice president of the DSF. Long said she’s always worked at the fair during summer break.
“Even as a kid, my dad was in charge at the grandstand and track, so I would help people to their seats,” Long recalled. “For the last few years, I’ve been helping out with the children’s competitions and judging.”
These include LEGO-building events, a “kids using cake mix” recipe contest, and creative challenges like the Duct Tape contest, where kids ages 5 to 17 use the adhesive tape as a primary material to make all kinds of imaginative items.
“You get anything and everything kids make out of duct tape,” Long said, laughing. “I pretty much go to the fair every day. My husband didn’t get that at first when we dated – he grew up going to the state fair in Maryland maybe once a year. Now we go once or twice a day.”
These days, Long said, she gets the most joy from bringing her 6-year-old son with her on her fair trips.
“Cayson loves the fair,” she said. “It’s his favorite thing.”
FRIED CHICKEN FOR THE WIN
Of all the things she enjoys about the fair, Long says the food is a highlight. Every summer she looks forward to the return of her favorite food trucks and vendors. She counts Big Al’s Roast Beef among her go-tos.
“We love to get cheesesteaks and gyros – there’s a Greek food stand that’s really good,” she said. “And we always get snow cones.”
With such a wide variety of offerings, the fair is a hard place to leave hungry. From fresh-squeezed lemonade to fried Oreos, pizza, cotton candy, and more, there’s something for every craving.
For those seeking comfort food, The Grange is a longtime favorite. A national agrarian fraternity with more than 1,700 chapters, Grange members serve fried chicken platters at the DSF to raise money in support of rural communities.
Long’s father, State Fair VP Harvey Kenton, expressed the same sentiment as his grandson when he was quoted in The News Journal.
“I like eating at the Grange – it’s the best fried chicken in the world,” Kenton said. “Everything about the fair is my favorite. I don’t have anything that I dislike.”
BIG TOP SECRETS
Little-Known Facts About Carnival Life
- Many fair workers are paid by commission, which means they have a financial incentive to tempt you to try your luck.
- Most carnival and amusement companies are family-owned, often passed down for generations.
- Many carnivals are self-powered. According to showman George Tobias, his company brings American-made diesel generators with backup systems that ensure the power never cuts out – so no one gets stuck at the top of the Ferris wheel.
- Workers typically sleep in company-provided bunk trailers and often set up makeshift kitchens outside when they get tired of fried food.
- It’s easy to get started in carnival work, and opportunities are growing. TikToker Briana Vasquez-Peragine shares tips on how to get hired in her videos @BriVP.
