A TASTE OF THE CARNIVAL

Who says sheltering at home can’t be fun?

You can now take a quick trip to Odie’s Place Food Truck Court on FM 2325 to get a funnel cake or corn dog — and a bit of the carnival experience.

The food stand comes to you from the Texas State Fair. And the Louisiana State Fair. And the North Dakota State Fair. And the New Mexico State Fair.

Wimberley residents Brandon and Melissa Kibby have moved their stand to Odie’s Place because carnivals and festivals across the nation have been shut down due to concerns about the coronavirus.

“This is our business,” says Brandon. “We are trying to make income while everything is closed down. If I can make a little bit of money and pay the bills, why not give it a shot?”

The food stand is the real deal. It’s 26-feet long and 17-feet high. In Wimberley, some of the stand’s glory is hidden by a tarp. The stand that usually flashes proudly on the midway ran afoul of the city’s strict sign ordinance and dark sky restrictions.

“The marquee definitely exceeds the 32 square feet of sign that is allowed,” says Brandon with a chuckle. “It’s designed to stand out on the midway.”

Wimberley resident Jordan Ponser was definitely in the mood on a recent visit. “I go to every carnival I can find and I order corn dogs, funnel cakes, and lemonade,” says Jordan while taking a photo of the stand. “This is a dream for me.”

Big business

The Kibbys own Paradise Amusements which operates two kiddie rides, three large rides, 2 fun houses, and 3 food stands. They usually spend eight months of the year on the road at various fairs and festivals and four months at their Wimberley home.

Melissa also owns Sassy Scrappers and Fabric Frenzy, a scrapbook supply and fabric store in Wimberley. When she’s on the road she tracks those businesses online and comes home every couple months to check on things.

The family has a rich carnival history. Melissa is fourth generation. Brandon joined the business in 1996, after the couple met while attending the San Marcos Baptist Academy.

The funnel-cake stand at Odie’s was built in 2008.

In addition to funnel cakes, the Kibbys sell corn dogs, fresh-squeezed lemonade, churros, cotton candy, and caramel apples.

Everything is made from scratch daily, says Brandon, and the huge corn dogs are from a recipe that dates back more than 20 years. They make “family-sized” funnel cakes with all the toppings — chocolate, strawberry sauce, sugar, cinnamon, you name it. “That funnel cake (recipe) has been copied by others,” says Brandon.

Most of the fairs and carnivals have been cancelled through June so the stand will likely be at Odie’s at least until then, when they can get on the road again.

Paradise Amusements travels the circuit and it’s quite a production. The company has 16 employees. Brandon and Melissa live in a 57-foot, 750-square-foot trailer that’s pulled by a semi truck. They travel with their two Yorkshire terriers and a golden retriever.

Paradise Amusements owns nine trucks and 14 trailers to move the equipment from spot to spot. When they hit the road, Brandon gets everyone else launched, then he leaves. “We don’t caravan anymore,” he explains. “In a caravan, if someone gets a flat tire, we all have to stop. If someone has to go to the restroom, we all have to stop.”

“It’s not a fly-by-night operation,” assures Brandon. Hardly fly by night, not when a children’s carnival ride can cost between $150,000-$200,000 and a large ride goes for $650,000 to $1million, according to Brandon.

Spinning around

The Kibbys have the setting up of the rides down to a science. “If we have one day to set up, we set up in one day,” says Brandon. “If we have four days, it takes us four days with painting and maintenance.”

The larger Paradise rides, especially, are complex pieces of machinery. The Drop Tower is 100 feet tall and pretty much lives up to its name. “Genesis” swings people around on a large oval at varying speeds. “Swing It” is a oneof-a-kind attraction that rocks riders back and forth on a half circle, while the cars spin at 34 RPMs.

“The funny thing about carnival rides is that they all spin around in some way,” says Brandon. “I have learned on ‘Swing It’ that people can go through it about seven times and then they start to get sick.”

At Odie’s, there’s only carnival food — no rides.

The Kibbys have gotten good reviews so far and enjoy the sense of wonder when the folks walk up.

Says customer Jordan: “I texted my boyfriend and told him we could get married right here and I’d be happy.”

It’s an unconventional life, but one the Kibbys enjoy. At the fairs, Brandon and Melissa do whatever is necessary — from cooking corn dogs to pulling maintenance on rides.

“I love it,” says Brandon. “It’s not a desk job, that’s for sure.”

The stand operates Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Because of Wimberley’s sign ordinances and dark sky regulations, the food stand can’t light up like it does on the carnival midway.

Customers line up for funnel cakes and oversized corn dogs at the carnie food stand that opened up in Wimberley.

Customer Jordan Ponder visits carnivals and fairs whenever she can because she loves the food.