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Logan, Utah • What started as an independent concession stand blossomed into a growing traveling carnival over the course of 36 years, employing people of diverse backgrounds.

In 1979, Danny Brown and his wife Sherry, both second-generation amusement industry people, followed the breadcrumb trail left by their parents and worked as independent concession owners traveling between large fairs in California. With the desire to expand, they established Brown's Amusements, adding additional games, rides, and food concessions as well as a traveling route through Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, with the eventual addition of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico.

To the present, the Browns continue to travel, bringing cotton candy, rides, games and prizes to various locations in the west, but they have expanded on their staff, adding around 80 to 90 employees to their family over the course of the last three decades.

"We are one of the nicest carnivals, probably, in the country," Danny Brown said proudly.

Employees typically travel with Brown's Amusements for nine months, before receiving a three-month break from the end of October through January.

They then rejoin the traveling carnival on February 1. They recently stopped at the Cache County Fair in Logan.

Many carnival workers have unique backgrounds.

Chief Game Operator Brandy Parenti has worked with Brown's Amusements for six seasons.

She grew up with the carefree carnival environment. A fourth generation carnival worker, Parenti was raised on a carnival in Washington state where she frequently followed her parents around in rollerskates, eating corndogs and cotton candy.

Six years ago, she obtained her first responsibility when she started working with Brown's Amusements.

Parenti even met her husband in the carnival environment. As his parents owned a carnival as well, she and her husband Phillip bonded over their mutual backgrounds.

On traveling with Brown's Amusements, "Each day is a new memory," Parenti said.

What particularly appealed to Parenti about being a part of a traveling carnival was the way of life and familial nature felt among employees.

"We are definitely all a family. If one of us has a problem or an issue, we all have one. If one of us is happy, we are all happy. We all stick together because it's a lot easier that way," Parenti said.

Though Parenti has spent her entire life with a passion for the carnival environment, others realized their passion for it later in life.

Kevin Darnell, a seven-season ride and game operator, was originally a corporate chef.

After deciding that the lifestyle was not for him, he took a year off and spent most of his time playing the computer game Rollercoaster Tycoon.

"I was playing that for a while and thought, 'Maybe there's more to just playing the game, I should try it out for life'," Darnell said.

From there, he brought Rollercoaster Tycoon to life.

"It's pretty much the same. You build a little carnival and let it operate. Now this is real life," he said.

Unlike the game, however, Darnell has seen many unique locations and met many different people without the click of a mouse to guide him.

"It's a lot of travel. Lots of new people and things every day," Darnell said.

Most of the employees of Brown's Amusements are on work visas, and join the carnival for a season, go home and renew their visas, and return to travel with the carnival.

"Most of them come up here to take care of their families. The money is much better than home," owner Danny Brown said.

Brown estimates that 70 of his employees are on work visas.

Oscar Sanchez, a seven season employee of Brown's Amusements, is one of them. His main duty includes overseeing tickets.

On traveling with the carnival, Sanchez has basked in the light of the family-like feeling of the group.

"Everybody's my family here," he said.

According to Brown, the training process for new employees is quick.

"We train somebody for a ride then we put someone with them until they really understand it and then we let them operate the ride. We start with the small rides; after they understand that they can operate the big rides. It's the best way to do that," Brown said.

As Brown's Amusements travels from location to location, they often find themselves welcoming newcomers into the family.

"We make sure everyone's taken care of," Parenti said.

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Information from: The Herald Journal, http://www.hjnews.com