Kristal Jones
Assistant Features Editor
krijones@valdosta.edu

April 3 was the night when the carnies came to town.
The Valdosta Mall parking lot has been the central “hang out” spot for locals for the past week now.  It has been the perfect place to go for a night after a long day of grueling classes for VSU students.
“I went to the fair thinking it would be lame, but I ended up having so much fun,” Mara Matiski, senior psychology major, said.  “It was nice to go somewhere other than dinner and a movie for a change.”
People lined up on the opening night, making the fair one of the most crowded places in Valdosta.  It was the topic of conversations on campus.
There were rides for both the squeamish and the daredevils, from the “Carousel” to the “Zipper.”
Some of the crowd favorites were “The Himalaya,” “Scrambler,” “Spin Out,” “Ferris Wheel,” and the classic bumper cars, “The Scooter.”  It was the “Spin Out” that was the crowd favorite, which is a giant circle of people ready to be whipped around and upside down in a motion that is sure to get that cotton candy and funnel cake tossed up.
“The ride [Spin Out] was awesome, but then again, if you calculate it, it was like paying $5 for one ride,” Josias Valdez, sophomore mass media major, said.
For those who really didn’t want a challenge on a ride, there were plenty of alternatives available, like playing a game for a chance at winning prizes at the “Prize Factory.”  If that still didn’t spark any interest, people could kick back, grab some food and have some fun.  The fair offered all kinds of food like corn dogs, pop corn, ice cream, and even “taco in a bag.”
“I still wouldn’t recommend going, because it was way too expensive for a fair that didn’t have enough attractions for me,” said Valdez.
The prices ran for individual tickets or $15 a wrist band, which allowed you to ride an unlimited amount of rides.
All in all, the fair was a surprising yet exciting thing to do in Valdosta.

Carnival sounds