Schmidt Amusements!!

You can now purchase General Admission and Midway Passes and Grandstand Event Tickets
via our PayPal account
Go to http://www.manisteecountyfairtickets.com

In the early 1960′s, Sherman Schmidt was in the Insurance business in his hometown of Standish, MI.
He was always interested in the Arenac County Fair and eventually become the Fair President.

In 1966, Glen Wade offered him a job working for his carnival company that Sherman couldn’t refuse.
This was the start of the Schmidt family into the “Outdoor Amusement Business”. In 1972, Sherman became the second unit manager for W.G.Wade Shows. For the next decade, he learned the carnival business along with his wife Joy, in fact, the whole family was in the business together.

In 1982, Schmidt Amusements was formed as a family business in the truest sense of the word, with Sherman at the helm with Joy taking care of the office. Both sons and a daughter have college degrees, but all have returned from college and have stayed in the family carnival business. It started as just one carnival unit, but only two years later they created a complete second unit. Schmidt brothers, Terry and Doug became the unit managers. Their sister’s Nancy and Peggy and their husbands Larry Mardon and Tony Anderson, Terry’s wife Sandy and Doug’s wife Kathy were operating the various support concessions for the two units. In 2008, Tony and Peggy started a unit of their own. Today there are three complete carnival units!

Sherman and Joy have let the younger generations gradually take the reins of Schmidt Amusements for the most part, but they continue to help out when needed.
The company is actually now operated by three generations of the Schmidt family. We haven’t mentioned the extended Schmidt family of loyal employees, some returning summer after summer for 10 years or more. Since starting in the early 80′s, the Schmidt’s have worked closely with many of their sponsors and formed many long term relationships with them as well.

The Schmidt family operates their carnivals with great pride and have a goal of providing Michigan’s fairs, festivals and events with safe, clean, thrill filled fun rides, great midway food and all around fun for the whole family at affordable prices!

Consider this your invitation to come visit us this summer!