Those who have visited the Wonder Building at the Warren County Fairgrounds over the past 12 years have likely seen the work of Sebastian Armentrout.
The 24-year-old Front Royal resident often submits pictures at the craft show, but it’s his carnival designs that have become a staple of the annual fair.
“Most of the stuff I have in there I’ve had for several years,” Armentrout said Friday.
“Some of them are new for this year,” he said. “It changes every year, so I try to base it somewhat on what’s going to be at the fair from what I can gather from those who make the trips.”
Armentrout began building models for the fair in 2010 using K’NEX toy connectors. For six years, he displayed the model at the craft show, but after he turned 18, he said the fair let him continue to display the model independently of the K’NEX show.
“I’ve been modeling for most of my life,” he said. “I started modeling when I was 6 years old.”
Although he says he has more than 50 models in his basement, he hesitates to pick a favorite.
“That’s like picking my favorite child,” he said with a laugh.
“Maybe the big Ferris wheel,” he said of a model he brought to this year’s fair. “It’s called the spider wheel.”
Every year he tries to choose models that the fair’s carnival company is also bringing. Since he knows the owners of Snyder Amusements, he said he gets the inside scoop before putting on his show every summer.
He then stores the trips back in his basement for the next year.
“All models can be broken like real rides,” Armentrout said.
Initially, the rides were built from K’NEX, but in recent years it has branched out into many other materials.
“I use a lot of paper and paper,” he said. “It’s all over again.”
The rides also light up with LED strips, which give them a magical quality, but also prevent him from being able to motorize the rides.
Asked if he will continue this in the future, he said for sure.
“I’ve done it for so long. I doubt I would ever stop,” he said. “It’s always been a hobby.”
And it’s not just architecture that interested him; so are the lights.
“For some reason, I’ve always been obsessed with lights, even as a kid,” he said.
In restaurants, he recalled, “I would have to sit where I could see the traffic lights.”
In addition to creating models, he has developed a passion for photography over the years.
“A lot of it is actually at the fair. Carnivals and fairs [are] my main thing in the summer,” he said.
“That’s what got me into photography was photographing carnivals as a kid.”
For more information, visit Armentrout’s Facebook page, facebook.com/Shenandoahshowsknexrides.
