BEATTY-COLE PICTURES (Bob Cox)

Allan Hill's Floss Joint-1967

Of course Allan went on to own his own circus also!

I beleive Allan's Dad, Bill Hill, was the Big Top super on the Beatty show then.

BEATTY-COLE PHOTOS (Bob Cox)

1963- Johnny Walker's Popcorn Joint,

Nobel Sims, helper, The little guy playing around is Johnny Walker, Jr.

Now the owner of Walker Bros Circus!

LABOR DAY TRADITION ON THE EASTERN SHORE OF MARYLAND

SUNDAY MORNING MIRTH!

NEWS FROM THE BEACH (OCEAN CITY, MD)

CALGARY STAMPEDE-2008

2008 Calgary Stampede Midway from Think Calgary on Vimeo

Joie Chitwood-Thrill Show King

I remember a big hit in the summer time was when Dad would take Bill and Me to the Kent & Sussex Fair to see the Joie Chitwood Thrill Show. Of course now it's the Delaware State Fair.

Thrill Shows are now kinda a thing of the past. There are still a couple shows around.

Especially in the Northeast. I noticed at Honesdale, PA they had one this year.

DANNY FLEENOR'S HURRICANE HELL DRIVERS--Remember When?

NATIONAL HARD CRAB DERBY RACE

NATIONAL HARD CRAB DERBY & FAIR CRISFIELD MD

The Hard Crab Derby is an annual attraction every year down at Crisfield, MD, right on the Chesapeake Bay.

It usually features a Carnival, with which I used to work, a Cooking Contest, a crab peeling contest, a boat docking contest and of course the Beauty Queen Contest, a huge parade, and last but not least The Hard Crab Races, with crabs entered representing many states. It always runs the weekend befor Labor Day and closes Sunday night.

Elizabeth Long was crowned Miss Crustacean 2008 at the Miss Crustacean Pageant at Crisfield High School on Thursday. Long competed with 10 other contestants for the coveted crown. Long was also named Miss Photogenic. (Patty Hancock photo)

Adam Gibson offers samples of his Maryland Crab Imperial Nachos to Betsy Thompson. Gibson took the top cooking prize. (Patty Hancock

NATIONAL HARD CRAB DERBY & FAIR-CRISFIELD, MD

August 30, 2008
Crabs are ready to raceCooking, pageant winners return title to their familiesBy Liz HollandStaff Writer
CRISFIELD -- A seventh-grader with a passion for cooking was named the grand prize winner Friday at the annual Crab Cooking Contest.
Adam Gibson, 12, of Marion Station beat 24 adult cooks for the top honors with his Maryland Crab Imperial Nachos, which also won first place in the soup and appetizer division.
"That was just incredible to win the division," he said. "Then I won grand prize -- I'm stunned right now."
This was not Gibson's first attempt in the annual contest. Two years ago he won a first-place prize for his Key Lime Crab Salad. Last year he entered, but did not win.
The Somerset Intermediate School student said he is already thinking of where he would like to go to college five years from now. Although he hasn't decided on a school yet, he hopes to study culinary arts and combine it with an education degree in order to teach.
"That would be really cool," he said.
His interest in both teaching and cooking comes naturally. His mother is Maryland Teacher of the Year April Todd. His stepfather, Andrew Todd, was Somerset County Teacher of the Year two years ago and the grand-prize winner the 2006 cooking contest.
The Crab Cooking Contest was one of the kickoff events to this weekend's 61st National Hard Crab Derby.
On Thursday night, 16-year-old Elizabeth Long was crowned this year's Miss Crustacean.
The senior at Crisfield High School helped hand out awards at the cooking contest and will preside over other Crab Derby events today and Sunday.
The daughter of Gail and Lee Long isn't the first in her family to win the title. Her aunt, Wendy Reese Noll, was Miss Crustacean 1981 and her cousin, Brittani Hinman, was Miss Crustacean 2006.
The Crab Derby continues today with a parade on Main Street at 11 a.m., the Governor's Cup Race at 2 p.m., the Crab Derby at 2:30 and Crab Picking Contest at 3:30 p.m.
Most events are on the grounds of Somers Cove Marina, which opens at noon today and Sunday.
Admission is $4 for adults and $2 for children 12 and younger.
somersetherald@gannett.com

The Ballon Peddlers Lament!

The 'BUG MAN" from Bob Cox

Any one remember the Bug Man?

Well for you first of mays the Bug Man sold Chamelons that were displayed on a Bug Board.

Here it happens to be a lady on the old Hunt-Bartok show.

The most famous bug man was a little gentleman, with a big heart, Murray Fein.

Bill and I had the pleasure of meeting and becomming friends with Murray when we were playing the Orange County Fair in Middletown, NY.

The "Bugs" were sold with a tiny collar and leash!

Of course today you probably would never get away selling them today that way!
Murray was the Bug Man on the Ringling Show for years!

D B WHARTON CIRCUS 1970 #1

The D. B. Wharton Circus, formerly Dykes and Wharton Combined Vaudeville Circus.

These shots, and there's only two of them were sent to me by Fred Hoffman.

This picture shows the Concession Truck, an old Hunt Show truck,.

It pulled the combination office and concession trailer.

The whole show moved on three trucks. The other one being a Chevrolet Panel.

Dave tried to do everything, Booking Agent, Concessions, Front Door, Announcer and performer!

Any other performers were sparse.

This might have been the farewell tour.

His demise owed to an accident on a bridge, at the bottom of a hill, entering Mansfield PA.

Dave's gone now so I'm not going to go any further with that story!

Dave had plenty of Moxie, as the old timers used to say!

D B WHARTON CIRCUS #2 1970

The tractor here used to be one of the Hunt Show Elephant tractors.That

We purchased from Harry Hunt in 1967.

It's pulling the "Everything" trailer, Poles, Canvas, Seats and Generator.

The Big Top on the show was a 50' round with 2 20' middles.

It had been purchased from the old Mills Show and was used as a side show top on that show.

Col JERRY LIPKO (Fred Hoffman pics)

Jerry Lipko had a chimp act back in the 70's and 80's.

He worked Circus Dates, Shopping centers, carnivals and fairs.

He featured a chimp named "Sammy"

It was a very entertaining act.

Then one day he stopped at a barber shop to get a haircut.

Whilr he was inside his truck caught on fire and destroyed everything including his chimps!

What A Shane!

The last time we saw him was at the Honesdale Fair back in the 80's.

He had a baby chimp that he brought out to the fair and took pictures with him.

I beleive he was working at Lake Ariel, near Honesdale, that summer.

Col JERRY LIPKO

I beleive these were taken at a Fireman's Carnival in PA.

Buffalo Bill