The Ottaway Carnival goes hand in hand with Tri-State every year. The rides and food have become as much a tradition as the parade, if not more.

Ask any adult about Tri-State and you are apt to get a story about someone losing their cookies on the Tilt-A-Whirl or the Bullet. There are stories of groping in the fun house and memories of downing funnel cakes in mere seconds.

Ottaway Carnival Tri-State 2010

Many generations will always think of the carnival being located in the middle of Broadway between the Post Office and the Courthouse. It has since moved over to the empty parking lot west of Convention Hall.

I think the carnival lost a little something when it moved. Seeing the Ferris wheel towering in the middle of Broadway was the one sure sign that Tri-State was about to begin. I remember running around the courthouse on the lawn, eating snow cones and popcorn. I think there were poles lining the sidewalk that we used to sit on and hang from.

I’ll always remember the smells, the sounds and the atmosphere that centered around the carnival during Tri-State. It was a more innocent time when we would run free and our parents never worried if we spent the entire day downtown with no adult supervision. Of course, those were the days. And you know what, those really were the days.