Spring Fling

The state fair is a unique world where packs of adolescents in Metallica t-shirts roam, where the smell of two-day old bratwurst penetrates your clothing and where the vomit-inducing qualities of carnival rides often work all too well. The organizers of this year's Spring Fling carnival definitely hope you don't get ill tomorrow. They'd be just as pleased if you enjoy some cotton candy and take a few spins on the dubiously-named "Scrambler." The second-annual carnival will be held from 7 p.m. to midnight and Spring Fling co-director Leila Graham-Willis said it promises to be one of the best events during this weekend's numerous Fling activities. "There will be four state fair-size carnival rides," Wharton senior Graham-Willis said, adding that they will consist of a ferris wheel, a "Yo-Yo," a "Scrambler" and a "Round-up." The carnival will include game booths, an air-band competition, live bands and food vendors, she said. She said she expects the carnival to complement, rather than compete with, other Spring Fling parties planned for Saturday night. "We'll do pretty well," Graham-Willis said. "People don't head out until 11 or 12, so they can stop by [and] check it out before they head out to parties." One of the more popular of the scheduled events is the air band duel, a sophisticated lip-synch contest that will take place between 7 and 7:45 p.m. Last year, the carnival was held on Sunday afternoon, but Graham-Willis said it was moved to Saturday night out of consideration for Fling organizers -- who were run ragged by three straight days of events. "It's very difficult for the Fling committee," Graham-Willis said. "The problem with doing it on Sunday is that it's very taxing on us." She added that the carnival can get "a bigger draw at night" because many students are studying or recovering from the weekend by Sunday afternoon. If it rains tomorrow, ride vendors will decide if the rides will be in operation, Graham-Willis said. She speculated that the carnival would be cancelled if there is a downpour with lightning. But if there is a "fine mist," the show will most likely go on.