June 2010 - Amusement Today

34 AMUSEMENT TODAY June 2010
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Carnival Profile:
Kiernicki triple Wonder Shows
size in 11 years by hard work
Pam Sherborne
Amusement Today
Since Ken and Anita Kiernicki
purchased Wonder
Shows 11 years ago from its
founder, Henry Saluk, the two
have more than tripled the size
of the Winnipeg, Manitoba,
Canada carnival and there is
still room to grow.
“We are always pondering
something,” said Anita Kiernicki.
“We go to Gibtown (the
International Independent
Showmen’s Association’s Extravaganza
in Gibsonton, Fla.)
every year.”
And, the 25-ride show is
seeing its best season ever so
far. In mid-May, the show had
been on its route for about
three weeks. They travel from
mid-April until the end of August.
They do indoor corporate
parties during November
and December.
“It is too cold up here to do
anything outside during that
time,” she said, with a laugh.
“We do the indoor parties at
the convention center. We can
have up to eight rides.”
During the season, the
Kiernickis travel primarily in
Manitoba and, from time to
time, a little in Ontario. And,
they play primarily festivals
and special events such as the
Niverville (Mb.) Old Tyme
Country Fair, this year set
for June 11-12; the Winnipeg
Beach Boardwalk Days, July
16-18; the Peguis (Mb.) Treaty
Days, July 19-24; the Stonewall
(Mb.) Quarry Days, Aug.
20-22; and the Morden (Mb.)
Corn and Apple Festival, Aug.
27-29.
Everyday they play, they
offer a $25 wristband that is
good from the beginning of
the day to the end of the day.
The Kiernickis have been
in the outdoor amusement industry
together for about 20
Here are
Cassandra,
Marissa, Ken and
Anita Kiernicki,
owners, Wonder
Shows, Winnipeg.
This 2007 Hilite
Gondola Wheel
is one of the 25
rides owned by
the Kiernickis for
Wonder Shows.
PHOTOS COURTESY
WONDER SHOWS
years, but Anita Kiernicki said
her husband has been in the
industry for a lot longer.
“Ken has been in the business
since he was a teenager,”
she said. “His brother was
working on Wonder Shows
and got Ken into it. He also
owned some rides.”
Ken Kiernicki left the carnival
business for the park
business for about six years.
He managed a park called Tinkertown
Amusement Park in
Winnipeg.
But, then it was back to
show business. They returned
to Wonder Shows and worked
a variety of jobs on the midway.
When the opportunity
arose for them to buy the show,
that is what they did.
“My husband is as good
as any of the carnival guys in
the world,” Anita Kiernicki
said. “He is very meticulous.
He likes everything to look so
so.”
He takes the time during
the off-season to work on
the rides, painting and doing
whatever needs to be done.
“He even makes his own
fencing,” she said. “But, during
our off-season, we like to
try to have a holiday with our
family. I work on the books
and try to keep up with the
housework.”
They have two daughters,
12 and 16 years old. The girls
travel with them now some
during the season.
“The hours on this job are
really something,” she said.
“I would like to know how to
maintain a healthy diet on a
midway?”
She said their staff means
everything to them and they
feel fortunate to have a very
good one this year.
She said they have visited
carnivals in the U.S. often. She
feels one of the biggest differences
between carnivals in
Canada and those in the U.S.
is the large amount of equipment
many carnivals in the
U.S. carry with them on the
road.
“They just have more
stuff,” she said. “Plus, the population
is different in the U.S.
There are just more people.”