The State Fair of Texas closes Sunday. But before Big Tex comes down, the SMU journalism Feature Writing class decided to check out life behind the booth.
Profile of Chris Simpson
By Summer Dashe
Her hands, though frail and painted with age spots, move from cup to cup as she scoops up animal feed and sets it on the table. Her name is Chris Simpson, and she has been a Texas State Fair employee for 15 years, working at the petting zoo and handing out cups of feed.
“I like to see people I see every year,” Simpson said.
Each year she catches up with the regulars. Some yearly visitors have even turned into friends, she said with a smile. Her days are fulfilling, as she enjoys the company of those who pass through to pet the animals.
The fair has not only become a time to visit with old friends but also to bond with her daughter, who sits three feet away at the opposing table.
Her daughter scoops feed, too, and slides it across the table, setting it out for children, couples and the elderly alike to grab.
Simpson said she began working at the fair in 1993 when a fellow employee at Tom Thumb, where she worked at the time, mentioned the fair needed workers. Her daughter joined her years later, and the duo has been at it ever since.
“I only missed one year, and it was just because I was sick,” Simpson said as she filled another cup.
Profile of Kim McCormick
By Avery Stefan
Smells of fried Oreos and popcorn add to the overall eclectic and theme-park experience the Texas State Fair offers during the fall months, one that Kim McCormick has looked forward to for years.
The Dallas native switched from visiting the fair to working at the fair two years ago, when her mother, who has helped out at the Kansas petting zoo attraction for 15 years, informed McCormick that workers were needed to sell feed.
The petting zoo at the fair hosts one of the most random assortments of animals one could think of. From zebras to tortoises to llamas, all the animals share the hay-filled pens in harmony, eager to be pet and fed by visitors.
“Did you see the baby kangaroo in the mama’s pouch?” McCormick asked excitedly.
She loves getting to see the animals on the days that she works, which include weekends and Mondays.
McCormick spends the remaining four days of her week looking after her grandchildren.
“It pays for Christmas,” she said about her income from the fair.
In addition to raking in some extra spending money, McCormick gets to meet hundreds of people every day she is there. Talking to and seeing the different walks of life at the fair each year is what makes McCormick’s job an interesting and enjoyable way to pass the time.
Over the past couple of years, McCormick has come to appreciate a different aspect of the fair. As you meander around the back of the Cotton Bowl building, a pungent and slightly unpleasant smell of animal sweat and manure fills the air, mixing with the traditional fried scents. This more secluded area where the animals are housed, far from the chaos of screaming, excited children and loud rollercoaster rides, will hold a place for McCormick and her mother for what she hopes to be many years to come.
Profile of Phillip Roberts
By Ashley Withers
Rihanna is blaring from a set of speakers, Big Tex is “speaking” to a crowd of amazed fairgoers and chants of “step right up, step right up” seem to boom from every booth. One voice, however, stands out among the rest.
“Take a swing and make it ring,” crows the young man in a blue octopus hat at the Hi-Striker booth.
Phillip Roberts has been working at the fair since it opened this season. Though it may be the State Fair of Texas’ 125th anniversary, 2011 marks Roberts’ first year at the fair.
“I just came up here one day and got a job,” 18-year-old Roberts said.
The Dallas native graduated from James Madison High School back in May. This is his first job since graduating. But after taking the year off from school to work, Roberts hopes to attend Cedar Valley College and study engineering.
“Not to toot my own horn, but I think I’ll be good at it,” Roberts said about studying engineering. “You can get my autograph now if you like.”
However, his current job is more about figuring out how to attract people to his booth than figuring out how machines work.
“I call them macho man and challenge their masculinity,” Roberts said. “They want to come take a swing and prove it.”
During his shifts you can often find him singing into the microphone and modeling prizes from his booth, including the octopus hat.
“I do it for the people, the money, the women and the food,” Roberts said half-jokingly. “It’s just fun.”
Profile of Tommy Terrell
By Anna Kiappes
As the sun beats down on a warm October afternoon, Tommy Terrell surveys the crowd of families with small children and couples wandering the Texas State Fair grounds. While most of his co-workers bark at the people, promising prizes and exciting rides, Terrell lets the crowds come to him. He operates Danny England’s Giant Alligator and Crocodiles exhibit.
“I’ve been working here about 13 years,” Terrell said. “I’ve been coming here since I was a kid.”
Terrell started working at the State Fair thanks to friends that own other booths at the fair.
“I’ve known the people that own the western store for years,” Terrell said. “I also know the people at the Popcorn Park.”
While he’s not a big fan of the fair, he does like his job.
“I just enjoy working with these guys,” Terrell said, pointing to the large reptiles lying in the pool.
As the end of the fair draws near, Terrell is looking forward to taking a break and relaxing.
“I’m ready to go back to my family, which means being with my girlfriend,” Terrell said.
The line for the Texas Star Ferris wheel grows, and Terrell continues to stand in the shadow of the awning waiting. Small children stare and point at the pictures of the animals, but their parents keep walking, leaving Terrell alone to his reptiles and his thoughts.
Profile of Gary Turner
By Sara Carabasi
What is it about carnivals and fairs that makes people so excited? Maybe it’s the adrenaline-pumping rides or the dart-throwing games. Maybe it’s the loud music or the flashing ride lights. Or maybe it’s greasy but delicious food everywhere you go.
Whatever it is, thousands of people head to the Texas State Fair every year for some fun. But behind the fried food, rides and games are the carnies — the workers who come and go with the fair.
Meet Gary Turner, who works at the dart-throwing stand. Turner was forced to take on the job of a carnie due to the weak economy. He would not reveal his previous job, nor would he allow his picture to be taken. This year marks his first time at a fair in 40 years.
“The money is pretty decent,” Turner said. “If you’re smart, you try to work the big fairs, not the small ones.” After Dallas, Turner is scheduled to work different fairs for the rest of the year.
His next stop is Jacksonville, Fla. before heading to Miami. Turner says constantly moving to a new city is what he loves to do.
“I like to travel and work all over the country,” he said.
Other cities Turner is set to work in include San Francisco, New York and Beaumont, Texas.
Before playing a game at the fair, a person must pay using game coupons. Turner’s salary depends on the number of coupons scanned, but the machines used to scan the coupons don’t always work. Therefore, don’t expect him back in Dallas next year.
“Dallas is the only state fair to use them, and they onl
y work a little over half the time,” he said.
Turner, along with other fair workers, has “lost a lot of money because of the faulty gun system.”
“I’m excited to pack up my things and move on,” Turner said. “Traveling from city to city keeps me busy. I’m blessed that I’m never bored.”
