THE BALLOON MAN

Florida State Fair opens for business
 

EDMUND D. FOUNTAIN | Times]
Frank Zaitshik, 67, is the owner of Wade Shows, the largest ride operator at this year’s Florida State Fair. Zaitshik grew up on the midway.
from: tampabay.com
 By Shelley Rossetter, Times Staff Writer
 Thursday, February 7, 2013
TAMPA — It's early morning on the midway. The walkways are pristine. The air doesn't yet smell of fried fair food. And dew still clings to the carnival rides, making them shine in the sunlight.
This is Frank Zaitshik's favorite moment of the day.
"It's when I know I'm in the right business," he said.
Zaitshik owns Wade Shows, the largest ride operator at this year's Florida State Fair, which opens today. Of the more than 100 rides on the midway, 28 belong to him. And Zaitshik's rides are often the best of the best, according to Chuck Pesano, executive director of the Florida State Fair Authority.
Maybe that's because Zaitshik, 67, grew up on the midway.
His parents owned gaming concessions and he traveled with them from fair to fair. Going by the nickname "Friendly Frank," Zaitshik has fond memories of helping operate the game booths.
Even so, his parents made him promise to choose another life. But his idea of coaching football never panned out after college, and he soon returned to the fair.
Wade Shows was founded in 1912 by Lee Wade and started with small events around Detroit. Zaitshik of Lutz bought the company 33 years ago and has traveled across the country with it ever since. During that time, he witnessed firsthand both the beauty and the struggles of the carnival business.
"There was a time when we were proud to be called 'carnies,' " Zaitshik said. "Today, we find it very disrespectful because most people use it in a negative connotation or as a stereotype."
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