Traveling carnival Reithoffer Shows has two full units that operate at 40 events throughout the U.S., including 11 state or large county fairs. (Courtesy of Reithoffer Shows)
As Tennessee Families Make Memories on the Midway, TDLWD Remains Laser Focused on Fair Ride Safety
By Karen Grigsby
Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development
Fair season is back in Tennessee, and so are the tractor pulls, funnel cakes, and, of course, the rides.
There are rides that twist, turn and twirl, from classics like the merry-go-round and Ferris wheel to thrillers with names like Fireball and Pharaoh’s Fury.
The lights, sounds, and summertime fun of the midway are a tradition for many Tennessee families. And one team at the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD) is working to preserve that tradition with a laser focus on safety.
The New York New York ride will return to the Wilson County - Tennessee State Fair next month. (Courtesy of Reithoffer Shows)
Tennessee Fairs are a Family Tradition
Brittany Fisher Dean was born to love fairs.
“I always tell people I started in the fair business long before I was ever thought of. My mom and dad’s first date was to the Rhea Rural Fair here in Spring City when they were seniors in high school,” she said.
Dean is the Executive Secretary of the Tennessee Association of Fairs, which works with the state agriculture department to secure grants and merit money for local fairs.
As a young girl, Dean baked biscuits, cookies and cornmeal muffins and entered them into the fair. She remembers the excitement and pride she felt when she won blue ribbons. She wants kids today to have that same experience.
“That’s what our kids need these days is winning that ribbon, winning that $3 for getting first place for the cookies that they baked with their grandparents,” she said. “That’s what I want to keep instilling from my childhood to these next generations.”
The Rhea Rural Fair was eventually disbanded. In 2008, Dean’s father, longtime Rhea County Commissioner Harold E. Fisher, was approached about bringing back the fair. He enlisted the help of his daughter.
In the 16 years since, the Rhea County Fair has entertained tens of thousands of people. This year’s fair, which takes place Aug. 6-10 in Evensville, will include a chili cookoff, a cornhole tournament, donkey baseball — and the return of rides.
Dean explained that because the fair is so small, organizers haven’t always been able to line up a carnival. She said she hopes the rides — along with LEGO competitions, social media contests, and other events that county fairs have added to target teens — will provide an opportunity to educate young fairgoers.
“While we have them there for the rides, we are able to show them agriculture and show them that chocolate milk doesn’t come from a brown cow,” Dean said.
From left: George Beaty, Jim Hall, Brittany Fisher Dean and Glen Varner led the effort to bring back a fair to Rhea County, along with Dean's father, Harold E. Fisher. Fisher died in 2021, shortly before this photo was taken at the Rhea County Fairgrounds. (Courtesy of Brittany Fisher Dean)
Safety is a Tradition, Too
No matter its size or speed, every fair ride has been registered and inspected thanks in part to a team at TDLWD.
The Amusement Device Unit is part of the Workplace Regulations and Compliance Division at TDLWD. The unit, which includes a Manager and three Safety Compliance Officers, issues annual operating permits to carnivals, theme parks, and other amusement device companies. An employee from the unit is on-site at all the county fairs in Tennessee to ensure the carnivals have valid permits and all rides have been inspected and are registered by the state.
Tennessee law defines an amusement device as a “mechanical or structural device that carries or conveys a person … for the purpose of giving a person amusement, pleasure, thrills, or excitement.” This includes roller coasters, Ferris wheels, merry-go-rounds, and glasshouses.
Other devices adopted for regulation include bouncy houses and those at trampoline parks.
The law excludes mechanical bulls, wave pools, roller skating rinks, and ice skating rinks.
What are the Permit Requirements?
The Amusement Device Unit issued 531 operating permits for the fiscal year that ended June 30. Most of the companies that received them are based in Tennessee; however, out-of-state carnival owners and operators are also required to obtain a permit to legally operate in Tennessee.
To get a permit, companies must submit the following documents:
- A permit application, which includes a list of the operator’s amusement devices and an itinerary for traveling companies
- A certificate of liability insurance with a minimum general liability of $1 million per occurrence
- Inspection reports for each device
Applicants must also pay $150. Once all requirements have been met, the Amusement Device Unit will issue an operating permit that is valid for one year. The unit also will provide inspection decals to place on amusement devices that have been permitted for operation in Tennessee.
Who Inspects the Amusement Devices?
Tennessee law requires amusement device owners and operators to hire qualified inspectors who are certified through one of three agencies (ACCT, AIMS or NAARSO).
David Bertozzi is President of the National Association of Amusement Ride Safety Officials and a Level III NAARSO-certified inspector. He said inspectors must have two years of amusement ride inspection experience before they can even take the Level I certification exam. Inspectors must maintain their certification through approved training.
“It’s not something they just walk in the door and we hand it to them,” he said.
Reithoffer Shows has operated the midway at the Wilson County – Tennessee State Fair since 2018. The family-owned company, which was founded in 1896, has 12 employees who are certified by NAARSO.
“Safety is of the utmost importance to us,” said Sharon Popovich, who was worked at Reithoffer Shows since 1989. “Our show currently has the largest number of NAARSO-certified employees among all participating carnivals. … These highly trained employees ensure that our rides are not only in excellent working condition but are also inspected every day, as well as keeping the tools needed for maintenance and inspections calibrated and in good working order.”
Reithoffer Shows also has multiple third-party inspections of all of its rides annually as required by each state where it operates, Popovich said.
The traveling carnival begins working with the Amusement Device Unit long before it arrives in Tennessee.
The unit will “send their representatives out to the grounds as we get the rides set up, and they oversee our third-party inspections,” Popovich said. “We work closely with them to answer any questions and/or solve any issues that may arise.”
What Happens if There’s an Accident?
In addition to issuing operating permits, the Amusement Device Unit also tracks accidents, defined by state law as a “fatality, serious physical injury, or serious incident.”
In fiscal 2024, only four amusement device accidents were reported in Tennessee. None were fatalities.
One accident occurred on the Lightning Rod coaster at Dollywood, which sees about 3 million visitors a year. Another occurred at the new Dig ‘N Zone theme park in Sevierville. The most recent accident happened last month on a slide at the Fast Tracks fun park in Pigeon Forge.
The only accident that occurred at a traveling carnival happened in September 2023 when a fairgoer broke their arm on the Tubs of Fun kiddie ride. That ride has been taken out of service.
Amusement Device Manager Mike Hardy attributes the low number of accidents to the state’s inspection requirements and the growing awareness of amusement device regulations in Tennessee.
“Companies are more aware of the regulations and the requirements for obtaining an annual operating permit through the state, accident reporting process, etc., which all lend itself in providing a safer environment within the amusement industry for all Tennessee patrons,” Hardy said.
When an accident does occur, carnivals must cease operation of the ride and report the accident to the state within 24 hours. If the state determines that the accident was directly related to the device, the owner will set up an immediate inspection. If the device passes the inspection, the state will issue a letter indicating the ride can resume operation.
The Ice Jet ride will return to the midway at next month's Wilson County - Tennessee State Fair. (Courtesy of Reithoffer Shows)
A Tennessee Tradition That Continues to Evolve
Reithoffer Shows usually brings about 60 rides to the Wilson County - Tennessee State Fair, which last year drew a whopping 739,000 people over its 10-day run.
Reithoffer Shows brought four new rides to the fair in 2023. This year it hopes to introduce the Sky Ride, a chairlift-type ride that takes fairgoers 1,100 feet across the fairgrounds on a wire about 35 feet high. The midway operator also hopes to receive a new kiddie ride from Italy called Up, Up & Away, which features cars shaped like hot air balloons that spin around a center and move up and down.
Other rides have undergone major refurbishments, Popovich said. These include the bumper car ride the Pit Stop; the rethemed funhouse the Block Craft; and the Riptide, formerly known as Surf City, which now has new lights, scenery design, seat padding, and signage.
Still, most fairgoers can’t attend the fair without riding old favorites such as the Giant Wheel and the Grand Carousel, Popovich said.
“They are staples for young and old alike that will always be part of their fair fun memories,” she said.
For carnival workers, their favorite ride is usually the next new one, Popovich said.
“It is still exciting for us when we take delivery of a brand-new ride and get to be the first ones to try it out,” she said. “And we love how excited our guests are when they get to come out and experience them for themselves.”
Rider Safety Tips
David Bertozzi, the president of NAARSO, offered these safety tips for fairgoers:
- Wear closed-toe shoes. People who wear flip-flops can pinch their feet on steps.
- Avoid wearing loose clothing on coasters. “The funny thing about a roller coaster is a piece of clothing will stop a roller coaster car,” he said.
- Secure loose items. “Hats is definitely a no-no,” Bertozzi said.
- Follow the posted rules and the ride operator’s instructions.
FOCUS is a publication of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.