DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — Fun takes work...and lots of it!
And few people know that work like Freddy Miller. He's one of six generations that have worked on Miller's Spectacular Shows and he's been around the carnival all 52 years of his life.
"Our business is: 'we sell fun!'" he said with a smile.
But beyond the fun and family lies days of prep work and safety checks.
"That's actually the easy side of it, getting it all set up," Miller said. "Making all of the preparations for it is what takes so much time."
Starting Thursday evening, thousands of people will fill the rides and try to win that elusive giant stuffed animal. For Decatur Celebration organizers, the carnival is a huge draw.
"The Celebration experience — especially for the families — is huge," said producer Jarrod Cox. "[The carnival] has been a staple of the Celebration for going on 34 years now."
"There's a challenge in trying to give everything a different look on the grounds when people arrive," Miller said. "It's a different form of entertainment from everything else you find."
The Decatur Celebration carnival opens Thursday at 5 p.m. For more information on the schedule of events for the Decatur Celebration, click here.
