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News & Announcements

Lots to see in 2023

Skerbeck Family Carnival had an outstanding 2022 season, thanks to the hard work and dedication from our employees and all our fantastic partners! The community commitment and passion for the fairs and festivals we are so blessed to be a part of is second to none.

We are very excited to announce that we will be debuting FOUR new attractions on our midway during the 2023 season! Construction on our new elephant ear concession, as well as a water race game has been under way over the last year and will arrive just in time for 2023! We have also acquired two new rides that are sure to excite everyone on the midway... a new Cliffhanger and a Freak Out! The Cliffhanger is in production and the Freak Out was delivered to our winter quarters in early December.

We look forward to bringing a family fun experience to communities all over Michigan.

See you on the midway!

Statement Regarding COVID-19

Making the tough call with our partners to cancel, put on hold, and postpone events for our 2020 season has not been a light decision. This pandemic and time of uncertainty will not stop our family from doing what we have always done, provided fun entertainment. But alas, to ensure we are doing our part to help flatten the curve of COVID-19 we will cooperate according to the state of Michigan and CDC guidelines. “The show must go on”….another day when we know more. We plan to bring joy to the people across Michigan, as we have done for over 160 years. Please check our website skerbeckcarnival.com and our social media platforms to stay informed on the latest news of our events within your community. We will keep you as updated as possible.

Seven generations of the Skerbeck family have seen the ups and downs of economic crisis, war, natural disaster, and more. We care about your family’s health and those of our employees; so please in this time of uncertainty let us focus on the opportunity to spread kindness. From one Michigander to the next, as echoed by recent sentiments by the Governor, “Tough times don’t last but tough people do. Stay home, stay safe, save lives.”

Our family looks forward to greeting you with flashing lights on the other side of this.

Most sincere,

The Bill and CJ Skerbeck Family

New for 2016

Skerbeck Family Carnival is proud to announce our new additions for the 2016

season! We are dedicated to providing a fun filled experience for all aspects of

our midway and this years new purchases exemplify this commitment. As you

probably know, you can’t go to the carnival without partaking in delicious midway

food and we are so excited about our new sausage concession wagon! This

sixteen foot wagon is being custom built by Chester Built Trailers for our specific

assortment of mouth-watering midway treats and should be delivered by August.

Our food concessions aren’t the only part of the midway to be updated; our

midway lineup has added another family ride as well! The Rainbow Rock is a

designed obstacle course for kids and parents alike that allows patrons to climb,

slide and crawl their way to fun!

Have you ever wondered how the lights of the midway shine so brightly, or what

keeps all of the wonderful rides running? The answer is our very important

generators! This season we have added a new powerhouse, state of the art, 410

kilowatt generator. This new generator, along with last years upgrade on the

midway to LED lights, help reduce our footprint on the environment while still

pumping out hours of family excitement!

Come out and see the additions and so much more!

Success in the 2015 season

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February 10, 2016

As we eagerly anticipate April and the thaw of winter, we look back at what was an exciting and very successful 2015 season for Skerbeck Family Carnival. In the 2015 season “a new era of fun” began as fifth generation owner Bill Skerbeck, along with his wife CJ, embarked on an exciting new adventure by creating Skerbeck Family Carnival. Bill and CJ had been part owners of Skerbeck Brother Shows Inc. for 39 years but as the family continued to grow the company diversified and Skerbeck Family Carnival was born.

With Bill and CJ’s three children and their spouses (Bobby, Dustin and Carly), Skerbeck Family Carnival hit the ground running, creating a new brand including a new logo, website and social media presence. In addition to their already stunning midway, Skerbeck Family Carnival was able to complement their current collection of over 25 rides by adding three more! The new thrills to the lineup include the spectacular Air Raid for the adventurous riders, as well as the Motorcycle Jump and Mini Pirate Ship for the littlest customers. In addition to increasing their lineup, Skerbeck Family Carnival upgraded the entire midway by adding LED lights to the rides, food, games and ticket boxes, with the focal point being the beautiful Ferris wheel and its custom LED light package. This has brightened up the midway while being environmentally friendly. To accompany the beautiful LED lights their games also received a fresh new look, each receiving a striking new blue, green and silver canvas top. Skerbeck Family Carnival’s route in 2015 was fortified by adding spots such as Richmond’s “Good Old Days”, the Clare County Fair, and the Hillsdale County Fair.

Skerbeck Family Carnival takes pride in its family atmosphere and being able to provide top notch fun for children of all ages. It truly is a family affair and the best is yet to come, bring on 2016!

Skerbeck Bros. Shows Announces Plan to Continue 160 Years of

Skerbeck Bros. Shows Announces Plan to Continue 160 Years of Business

Escanaba, MI - December 8, 2014 - Skerbeck Brothers Shows, Inc. has been working for several years to coordinate the succession of Skerbeck Brothers Shows to the next generation of family owners. This is an important undertaking because the Skerbeck Family has a long tradition in the outdoor amusement business. Over the past 160 years, the family business has transitioned with stability through six generations. Some of the family business names have included Skerbeck Circus, Skerbeck Shows, Skerbeck's Great Northern Shows, Skerbeck Amusement Company, and most recently, Skerbeck Brothers Shows.

As co-equal business partners with a large asset pool and expanding families, Joe and Bill Skerbeck have operated Skerbeck Brothers Shows, Inc. as two divisions for several years. In order to formally move assets from one generation to another, two new business identities were created to represent the two business divisions.

As of December 8, 2014, the units will be identified as Skerbeck Entertainment Group, Inc., and Skerbeck Family Carnival, Inc. Joe Skerbeck announces his retirement with this change in ownership, appointing Jamie Skerbeck as President of Skerbeck Entertainment Group. Bill Skerbeck is the President of Skerbeck Family Carnival. Joe Skerbeck will continue to remain active through his retirement period through his role as a Director of the Outdoor Amusement Business Association.

The assets utilized at existing events will remain the same. The two divisions will continue to have a cooperative relationship for events where assets are combined and look forward to working together at certain key events for many years to come.