DATE: Thursday, April 10, 1997              TAG: 9704090162

SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN             PAGE: 12   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   75 lines

SPRING SPECTACULAR IS SETTING UP BUSINESS A CARNIVAL IS ASSEMBLING RIDES AND PITCHING CAMP, AND IMPROVEMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE SITE.

Massive muscles and massive trucks moved into Suffolk Municipal Airport last weekend - 60 National Amusements employees, and trucks with bits and pieces of carnival rides.

Once they are put together they become the gasping-for-breath rides that will keep Suffolk Spectacular visitors spinning up, down and sideways.

There will be 24 rides and scary places including the familiar - Tilt-A-Whirl, bumper cars, and kiddie rides.

National Amusements, part of Peanut Fest for seven years, also has a trio of new gulp rides.

``We try to bring in something different each year,'' said Jody Cadwell, president of National Events Management. ``The last thing you want to happen is seeing the same old thing.''

The new items include a spectacular.

``There are three categories of rides, the kiddie, the major, and the spectacular,'' Cadwell explains. ``Musik Express is a spectacular. All kinds of music will play while you sit in a chariot that goes around very, very fast.''

Another eye-opener, offering plenty to see, will by the Sky Wheel, a double ferris wheel.

And, try Scat.

``You stand up in a cage,'' Cadwell said. ``The ride turns and so do you in your cage.''

Most of the rides are ready to go. Matter of fact, the carnival will be open from 4 to 10 p.m. today. Ten dollars lets you ride `em all, as oft as you wish, and covers your parking fee.

Today only, remember. Friday through Sunday, the carnival is part of the fest activities.

``We moved in Sunday night,'' Cadwell said. ``In addition to our 60 workers, who put up and operate the rides, we hire 10 or 15 locals.''

He happily points out that his crew is pretty good at boosting local economies.

``About 25 trailers are at the Davis Lakes Campground, home for supervisors, game operators and some others,'' Cadwell said. ``Carnival people are like anyone else. We have families, retirees. We shop at Wal-Mart, and local stores, eat in restaurants.''

The early favorite was Red Apple, across Carolina Highway from the fest site.

``They serve the best cheeseburgers in the business,'' Cadwell said.

Red Apple business slowed later in the week when the carnival's cook house was set in motion.

Cadwell lives in Chesapeake, but when his group is at work on a fest an on-site trailer is mini home-sweet-home.

Improvements to the parking lot have been made, about 1 1/2-miles of fence now surrounds the site, holes have been filled, the grounds have been cleaned.

A 100-by-93-foot concrete pad was put up in the Performance Area, ``making it level, solid, more secure,'' said Wayne Smith, fest chairman. ``Now, heavy equipment can roll right up to the stage area, instead of having to haul from a distance.

``We have a new asphalt pad for the commercial tent - a solid surface to set things up,'' he said. ``Exhibitors can now put carpeting down.''

The improvements made at the site are advantageous to both fests - balloon and peanut.

``What makes one fest better, makes the other one better,'' Smith said. ``And, what we do to improve Peanut Fest this fall will hold for next year's balloon fest.

``We look forward to Peanut Fest being as great as ever,'' he said. ``Not one thing has changed so far as our commitment to that event is concerned.

``The balloon fest,'' Smith said, ``is just something else Suffolk Festivals does.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MICHAEL KESTNER

Jody Cadwell, president of National Events Management, says there

will be new rides alongside the familiar ones from Peanut Fest.

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