Due to poor weather during the carnival and one of the children becoming ill this project was shot in the course of one night. I plan on re-visiting the project in the near future.
Carnival Life
Under the neon glow of carnival rides and the smell of cotton candy and funnel cakes in the air, are the sounds of screams of terror and joy from thrillseekers as they board carnival ride after carnival ride.
This mass of sound and sight is the Victoria Livestock Show’s carnival at the Victoria Community Center, but to Jordan Clark, mother of two, this is just a typical day at the office.
Clark is a carnival worker who owns a trailer carnival game called “Abby’s Goldfish Game” and travels across the country to a different city every two weeks during six months of the year with the carnival company. On the road, she lives in a travel with her 6-year-old and 11-year-old daughters.
Abby, the younger daughter and namesake of the carnival game, and the elder Maddison travel with their mother, taking online homeschooling classes as they go.
Abby and Maddison try to help their mother whenever it is busy but during the slower times, they can normally be found riding every ride at the carnival over and over. The girls say they don’t mind all the traveling; they enjoy seeing the country and feel they learn more by visiting museums and historical sites.
For the rest of the year the family spends their time in Houston, traveling to different sites throughout the city.
Maddison, right, and her mother, Jordan Clark, joke while waiting for customers at their carnival game, “Abby’s Goldfish Game,” during the Victoria Livestock Show.
Maddison plays in a puddle while helping her mom with their carnival game, “Abby’s Goldfish Game” during the Victoria Livestock Show.
Maddison rides the “Alien Abduction” during a break from helping her mom work their carnival game during the Victoria Livestock Show.
Right, Maddison, right, and her mother, Jordan Clark, hug and laugh between customers at their carnival game, “Abby’s Goldfish Game,” during Victoria Livestock Show.
Maddison, right, and her mother, Jordan Clark, joke while waiting for customers.
Maddison, right, and her mother Jordan Clark walk through mud on the way to their travel trailer during the Victoria Livestock show.
From left to right, Hector DeLeon III, Hector DeLeon, Hayden DeLeon, Vanessa Ruiz play "Abby's Goldfish Game" during the carnival at the Victoria Livestock show.
Bethany Monroy and Jordan Williams play “Abby’s Goldfish Game” during the carnival at the Victoria Livestock Show.