Strates Shows, Inc. is a family operated

traveling carnival A traveling carnival (US English), usually simply called a carnival, or travelling funfair (UK English), is an amusement show that may be made up of amusement rides, food vendors, merchandise vendors, games of chance and skill, thrill acts, ...

midway company based in Orlando, Florida. It provides

amusement ride Amusement rides, sometimes called carnival rides, are mechanical devices or structures that move people especially kids to create fun and enjoyment. Rides are often perceived by many as being scary or more dangerous than they actually are. This ...

s, games and concessions for local, county and state fairs throughout the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. Strates Shows is the only midway company in the country that transports their personnel and equipment by

train In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often ...

during its annual seven-month season. The train currently comprises 61 rail cars and 34 trucks.Strates Shows, Inc. (History)
Retrieved Oct. 23, 2015.

History

James E. Strates, a

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

immigrant, came to the United States in 1909. He first worked a series of odd jobs, but in 1919, joined Lee Schaefer's Athletic Show as a professional

wrestler Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat spor ...

under the name of "Young Strangler Lewis" after learning the sport at a

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...

Endicott, New York Endicott is a village in Broome County, New York, United States. The population was 13,392 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Binghamton Metropolitan Statistical Area. The village is named after Henry B. Endicott, a founding member of the End ...

. Strates, along with partners Nick Bozinis and W.L. Platt, would renovate the show and call it Southern Tier Shows in 1922. The first show consisted of a merry-go-round,

ferris wheel A Ferris wheel (also called a Giant Wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondolas, capsule ...

, an athletic show, 15 concessions, three side shows and five hard rubber tire trucks. Times were hard that season, and Strates bought out his partners the following year. He also continued to wrestle and manage other performers as a side project. In 1927, Strates purchased an old plant near Elmira, New York in order to help facilitate equipment maintenance. His show grew into 11 major acts, traveling the area on 18 trucks before the Great Depression struck in 1929. Southern Tier Shows struggled over the next few years like other businesses during the period, but many of Strates' creditors carried him through due to his honest reputation. In 1932, the name of the company would be changed to James E. Strates Shows. Beginning in 1934, Strates would purchase his first flatbed railroad cars to haul equipment, eventually operating 40 cars. He continued to buy smaller companies over the next few years to enlarge his business. On December 22, 1945, fire engulfed a barn holding all of Strates' midway equipment which was being stored for the winter in

Mullins, South Carolina Mullins is a city in Marion County, South Carolina, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,663. Incorporated on March 4, 1872, Mullins was named after Col. William S. Mullins, who served as a representative for Marion C ...

. His train was the only usable piece remaining. Luckily, everything was insured. Strates was able to rebuild his company, bigger and better, in time for the 1946 season. By 1953, James E. Strates Shows was one of the largest midway companies in the United States. In 1955, the winter quarters moved to Orlando, Florida where it remains today.

After James E. Strates died in 1959, his son E. James Strates inherited the company. Now licensed under Strates Shows, Inc., the younger Strates continues to own and operate the business. Over the years, E. James Strates brought new innovations to the amusement industry including cooperative promotions, advance ticket sales and a centralized ticket system. Like other carnival midway companies, many of their rides have recently become eco-friendly including the use of LED lighting and

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fueled generators. The

Erie County Fair The Erie County Fair is a fair held in Hamburg in Erie County, New York every August. Based on 2018 attendance statistics, The Erie County Fair is the second largest fair in New York and the fourth largest county fair in North America, often dra ...

, located in

Hamburg, New York Hamburg is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 56,936. It is named after the city of Hamburg, Germany. The town is on the western border of the county and is south of Buffalo. Ham ...

, is currently the oldest stop on the circuit. Strates Shows has operated the midway there since 1924, just after the company's inception.Erie County Fair (About the Fair)
Retrieved Oct. 23, 2015. A few state fairs have been included on their route in the past, but Strates Shows has met significant bidding competition for providing midways at these venues in recent years.
Retrieved Oct. 23, 2015. Despite these challenges, Strates Shows continues to keep a busy annual schedule. Other notable events the company currently works include the Georgia-Carolina State Fair in

Augusta, Georgia Augusta ( ), officially Augusta–Richmond County, is a consolidated city-county on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia. The city lies across the Savannah River from South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Georgi ...

, the Hudson Valley Fair in

Wappingers Falls, New York Wappingers Falls is a village in Dutchess County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 5,522. The community was named for the cascade in Wappinger Creek. The Wappingers Falls post office covers areas in the tow ...

, the Champlain Valley Fair in

Essex Junction, Vermont Essex Junction is a city in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 10,590. It was incorporated as a village on November 15, 1892. Essex Junction became Vermont’s 10th city on July 1, 2022. Am ...

, the North Florida Fair in

Tallahassee, Florida Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat and only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2020, the populatio ...

and the

Carolina Classic Fair The Carolina Classic Fair, formerly the Dixie Classic Fair, is an annual fair held in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The fair takes place every autumn on the Winston-Salem Fairgrounds (formerly the Forsyth County Fairgrounds), which is part of th ...

Winston-Salem, North Carolina Winston-Salem is a city and the county seat of Forsyth County, North Carolina, United States. In the 2020 census, the population was 249,545, making it the second-largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region, the 5th most populous city in ...

.Strates Shows, Inc. (Event Schedule)
Retrieved Nov. 3, 2015.

Notes

External links

*{{official Traveling carnivals Amusement park companies Carnivals in the United States Festivals in Florida Entertainment companies established in 1923 Mass media companies established in 1923 Privately held companies based in Florida 1923 establishments in Florida