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A sideshow alley is an Australian term for the cluster of attractions that may accompany public events such as agricultural shows. It is similar to the American term 'midway'. Australian sideshows typically comprise a variety of amusement rides, games, and concession booths, run by a community of independent operators known as 'showies'.
The origins of the Australian sideshow alley can be traced back to the ancient fair culture of Britain. [1] By the 1880s, they were a regular part of agricultural shows in Australia. [1]
Sideshows in Australia have changed considerably in the last 40 years. The 1970s saw the removal of freak shows, strip shows and other non-family entertainments. This was accompanied by an influx of expensive thrill rides and novelties imported from the United States and Europe.
Higher expenses and running costs and inflated public liability premiums are among the recent challenges facing the 500-plus families that make up today's sideshow alley and travelling amusement industry in Australia.
Dollywood is a theme park that is jointly owned by Herschend Family Entertainment and country singer-songwriter Dolly Parton through her entertainment company, Dolly Parton Productions. It is located in the Knoxville metropolitan area in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, near the gateway to The Great Smoky Mountains. Hosting nearly 3 million guests in a typical season from mid-March to the Christmas holidays, Dollywood is the biggest ticketed tourist attraction in Tennessee. It has won many international awards.
In Spanish-speaking cultures, a verbena is an agricultural show, modest amusement park, or dance party, especially one held at night. An old tradition, they usually take place after dark in summer. Nowadays, some major cities, such as Barcelona, host "permanent" verbenas, but these have less tradition character than those that appear for only a few days each year.
A midway at a fair is the location where carnival games, amusement rides, entertainment, dime stores, themed events, exhibitions and trade shows, pleasure gardens, water parks and food booths cluster. The midway is located between the entrance and the big top of a circus; thus, a carnival is essentially a travelling midway.
First held in 1823, the Sydney Royal Easter Show, commonly shortened to The Easter Show or The Show, is an annual show held in Sydney, Australia over two weeks around the Easter period. It comprises an agricultural show, an amusement park and a fair and combines the elements of each, showcasing the judging of livestock and produce. The Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales is responsible for the event. Queen Victoria awarded the society and its show the right to use the word "Royal" in its name.
The Royal Adelaide Show is an annual carnival and agricultural show run by the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of South Australia. It is held at the Adelaide Showground, a dedicated venue located in Wayville, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia.
The Ekka is the annual agricultural show of Queensland, Australia. Its formal title is the Royal Queensland Show, and it is held at the Brisbane Showgrounds. It was originally called the Brisbane Exhibition, but it is more commonly known as the Ekka, short for "exhibition". It is run by The Royal National Agricultural and Industrial Association of Queensland (RNA).
Showman can have a variety of meanings, usually by context and depending on the country.
The Perth Royal Show is an annual agricultural show held in Perth, Western Australia at the Claremont Showground. It features informational exhibits, agricultural competitions and animal showcases, a sideshow alley and rides, and showbags. It has been held for over 100 years and is organised by the Royal Agricultural Society of Western Australia. It is held during the spring school holidays, either during the last week of September or the first week of October and at its peak, attracted attendance of around 460,000 people.
The Melbourne Royal Show is an agricultural show held at Melbourne Showgrounds every September. It is organised by Melbourne Royal and has been running since 1848. Each year Melbourne Royal Show attracts attendances of up to half a million people.
A sideshow is an extra, secondary production associated with a circus, carnival or fair etc.
A traveling carnival, usually simply called a carnival, travelling funfair or travelling show, is an amusement show that may be made up of amusement rides, food vendors, merchandise vendors, games of chance and skill, thrill acts, and animal acts. A traveling carnival is not set up at a permanent location, like an amusement park or funfair, but is moved from place to place. Its roots are similar to the 19th century circus with both being fitted-up in open fields near or in town and moving to a new location after a period of time. In fact, many carnivals have circuses while others have a clown aesthetic in their decor. Unlike traditional Carnival celebrations, the North American traveling carnival is not tied to a religious observance.
The Geelong Showgrounds in Geelong, Victoria, Australia, are the home of the Royal Geelong Show, an agricultural show held every year since 1855. The current showgrounds are located in the suburb of Breakwater.
Gala Day is a one-day festival held in many towns over the world.
The Newcastle Regional Show is an annual agricultural show held by the Newcastle AH & I Association at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre in Broadmeadow, a suburb of Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
Through its history, Hanna-Barbera has operated theme park attractions, mostly as a section in Kings Island, Carowinds, California's Great America, Kings Dominion, Canada's Wonderland, and, recently, Six Flags Great America.
A freak show is an exhibition of biological rarities, referred to in popular culture as "freaks of nature". Typical features would be physically unusual humans, such as those uncommonly large or small, those with intersex variations, those with extraordinary diseases and conditions, and others with performances expected to be shocking to viewers. Heavily tattooed or pierced people have sometimes been seen in freak shows, as have attention-getting physical performers such as fire-eating and sword-swallowing acts.
The Ballarat Showgrounds is a multi-purpose venue in Wendouree, a suburb of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, owned by the City of Ballarat and since 1934, the home of the Ballarat Show and agricultural show.
The Wanneroo Agricultural Show, also known as the Wanneroo Show, is an agricultural show, held on the last Friday & Saturday of November each year. The show is organized by the Wanneroo Agricultural Society (Inc.) and is held in the City of Wanneroo, in the northern metropolitan area of Perth, where it has been traditionally held since the first show in 1909. Featuring numerous competitions in the areas of agriculture, arts and crafts, photography, cooking, art, beer and wine and horticulture as well as commercial attractions including rides, showbags and commercial stands, the Wanneroo Show has grown to attract 10,000 people a year.
The Ballarat Show is an annual event held at the Ballarat Showgrounds run by the Ballarat Agricultural and Pastoral Society.
The Royal Toowoomba Show is an annual agricultural show held at the Toowoomba Showgrounds in Toowoomba on the Darling Downs, Queensland, Australia. The first Toowoomba Show was held in July 1862.