MONTANA STATE FAIR...

Jessica Fulbright and Sherrie Juarez ride the Pharoh's Fury at the Montana State Fair. (TRIBUNE FILE PHOTOS)
Thomas Carnival brings new rides to fair

By Tribune Staff • July 21, 2010
When The Mighty Thomas Carnival pulls into town this week, it will bring several new rides Great Falls has not seen before.
The Starship 4000, a new Scrambler, the Hi Roller and the Himalaya, a high-speed re-creation of an alpine snowmobile trip, will be new rides for kids and adults alike to try out.

This is the 17th year the Mighty Thomas Carnival has set up shop at the Montana State Fair. Centerpiece of the midway is the towering 70-foot ferris wheel with gondola-style seating designed to be enjoyed by the entire family.

Other hot rides include the spinning Thunderbolt, the exhilarating Zipper, and the swinging Pharaoh's Fury. Adventurous riders will enjoy the whirling Spider and the exciting wave action of the Moby Dick. The Super Shot always draws a crowd to watch the reactions of riders as they free fall to the bottom of the 90-foot tall drop tower.

For young families, make sure to check out the kids' carnival in South Park, in the shade of the old cottonwood trees. There also will be many popular carnival games, including water races, the duck pond, balloon pop, basketball, paintball blaster, big ring-bottle, grab-bag fish and the rope ladder.