Nebraska carnival crews cope with heat and humidity as they move from fair to fair

CRETE, Neb. (KLKN) — During county fair season, carnival crews are on a tight schedule to set up and take down attractions despite dangerous temperatures in the forecast.

The Saline County Fair ended on Sunday, and workers for the River City Carnival worked Monday to clean up and tear down what was left.

So how do they deal with extreme heat and humidity?

Darnell Russell left California several years ago to join this crew and described the difficulties of working in the heat.

“The hardest part is staying hydrated because we are on a time limit,” he said. “We have to make sure we are here and set up and ready to go no matter what.”

Russell said it’s easy to forget to drink water because they are always “ripping and running” through the fairgrounds.

At times, the crew works throughout the night to ensure they make it to the next scheduled fair, which Russell said is cooler than working throughout the day.

Russell works with cotton candy, which he said can be difficult to make in the heat.

But just like the breakdown of the rides, he said you have to simply try your best.

Other advice he gives: “Keeping a positive attitude, because it will get better.”

Once the crew completes their move out of Saline County, they are headed to Washington County for the next fair.