Ironmaster Days might be taking a year off, but Ironton residents can still find plenty of chills and thrills this weekend downtown.

Tuesday, June 20, 2000

Ironmaster Days might be taking a year off, but Ironton residents can still find plenty of chills and thrills this weekend downtown.

Trucks of all shapes and sizes have been rolling into the city’s downtown area since Sunday and are scheduled to continue coming through late today as crews begin setting up a carnival complete with rides, games and food.

The summertime fun is a substitute for the annual Ironmaster Days festival, which is usually sponsored by the Ironton Business Association. The IBA decided not to pursue the festival this summer because of a lack of volunteers.

"In an effort to have something in the city, we have brought the carnival to town," Mayor Bob Cleary said. "We wanted to try to have something since the Ironton Business Association has decided to not have the Ironmasters this year."

Summer Seasons Inc. – a family-owned business that travels throughout the eastern United States providing daily entertainment to thousands – is returning to Ironton for its fifth year. The company’s crews will bring with them a wide variety of rides and games for residents of all ages to enjoy.

"We will have various rides for both children and adults," said Trudy Jones, co-owner. "This year, we’ll have several new rides for people to enjoy such as the Avalanche, which goes up in the air and spins in circles as it comes down. We also have a lot of family games for everyone to enjoy."

Mrs. Jones said the carnival also brings with it the ever-popular funnel cakes, shaved ice and Bahama Mamas.

In addition to providing entertainment to residents from city to city, Mrs. Jones and her husband, Wayne, said they do a lot of work for charities.

"We have about eight different Catholic churches we do different shows for every year – not to mention the many Lions Clubs and other organizations we do charities for," Mrs. Jones said. "We’ve been on the road non-stop for the last three years."

And daredevils won’t have to wait too long to get their first taste of Avalanche or one of the other attractions, Mrs. Jones said.

The Jones family will begin preparing for Thursday’s opening beginning at 5 p.m., after they’ve received final state inspection.

"Once we’re set up and the state has inspected our equipment for safety purposes, we’ll be in full operation Thursday and Friday from 5 until 11 p.m.," Mrs. Jones said. "We’ll start the first ride at 1 p.m. on Saturday and the fun won’t stop until midnight. On Sunday, we’ll spin the rides one last time from 1 until 7 p.m. Also on Thursday, folks need to remember that it’s family night and it’s a pay-one-price’ evening where each person in the family will only cost $10 and can ride all of the rides. And on Saturday from 1 until 6 p.m., we’ll have a kiddies’ day where kids only are a pay-one-price."

Cleary said the city is excited about hosting a carnival that carries a clean reputation.

"This carnival is not like most in that when they leave, they won’t leave behind a mess that can ruin blacktop and cost the city more money or repairs," Cleary said. "A lot of carnivals have been known to leave huge oil spots from the rides that just destroys an area. These guys are clean. They’re the best."