Mac’s Carnival and Attractions is returning to the Sully County Centennial Fair after an absence of several decades.
“We used to do the fair in Onida and then go to Gettysburg because they were back-to-back,” Lon McWhorter said of past amusement appearances here. A man of his word, Lon once turned down a lucrative offer to bring his carnival elsewhere in order to fulfill his commitment here.
In return, they are splitting their carnivals and showing here as a branch of their route to the Cherry County Fair in Nebraska.
“We’re bringing six rides, a food stand and maybe some games,” Lon said. He says the rides have not been determined, but will be three of the Tilt-a-Whirl, Ferris Wheel, Sizzler, Tornado, Roundup, Paratrooper, Freestyle and Rock O Plane; and three each of a tractor ride, a four-runner ride, a car ride, plane ride, carousel, Dragon Wagon roller coaster and a super slide.
The six rides that Mac’s Carnival and Attractions is bringing to the Sully County Centennial Fair will set up on the Midway on Friday from 5:00-10:00 p.m. and Saturday from 1:00-10:00 p.m.
Lon McWhorter is the third generation of his family to run Mac’s Carnival and Attractions, which his grandparents started in 1929.
“My grandfather was drawn to auto racing and thrill shows, something he had been doing since 1911,” Lon said. “He and Grandma started with a three-minute photo booth. He was the first one who could develop the film in three minutes and he was very good at it.”
The attraction added their first rides in 1937 and added more rides each year as they continued to grow. In 1973, Lon’s grandparents got out of the travel business and simply operated concessions – until Lon took it back in 1986.
“My brother and I restored an old roller coaster and got back into the ride business,” said Lon, who adds that he took on the project because “it was there and it had a good engine.”
After confirming that the roller coaster was working, they took their ride on the road, joining a carnival that had started with their grandfather.
“Ever since I was a little kid growing up on the west side of Huron, I wanted to get back into the travel business,” Lon said.
Mac’s Carnival and Attractions operates in Louisiana, Arkansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and even North Dakota. “We have a second home in Louisiana.” Their base of operations is outside of Woonsocket, and their route takes them to Louisiana for Mardi Gras. “Our current route starts the first week of March in Louisiana and we’re in South Dakota the first week of June.”
The Carnival Eleven books are set in South Dakota and their path takes them back and forth between South Dakota and Nebraska.
The carnival operators have formed a tight-knit community, and Lon speaks admiringly of the other Kleins operators.
“My Tilt-a-Whirl, which I bought from Kleins, has been on the road since 1953,” said Lon. “They were wonderful people because they never had children. When that carnival sold out, Jenny gave all her money back to the orphanage. The payments I made to Tilt a Whirl, she used to pay for the surgery of a child in need. She would fly the kids to England or Russia or wherever to get the best surgeon. All the money went to the children. She made a living off the kids and gave it all back.”
“I hope to be able to do something like that one day,” Lon concluded.
The six rides that Mac’s Carnival and Attractions is bringing to the Sully County Centennial Fair will set up on the Midway on Friday from 5:00-10:00 p.m. and Saturday from 1:00-10:00 p.m.
