By News-Sentinel staff

It would not be the Lodi Grape Festival without an old-fashioned midway, and for at least 20 years, the fun and games have been provided by Butler Amusements.

Butler was started in 1970 by the father and son team of George “Bud” Butler and Earl Butler.

Even before starting the company, they had years of experience in the midway business.

They started in their native Minnesota as owners and operators of a part-time game business.

Bud Butler worked at a meat company and also ran a grocery store.

On weekends, the enterprising fellow would operate his game concessions at nearby carnivals.

In 1960, Bud Butler expanded his operation by purchasing an umbrella ride and moving to California.

He added several other rides and games and became a unit manager with West Coast Shows.

In 1970, George and Earl Butler struck out on their own, signing their first contract with the Redwood Empire Fair in Ukiah.

Over the years, the operation has steadily expanded and is now the largest carnival company on the West Coast.

The company provides carnivals for 100 different events each year in six different states including California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Nevada and Arizona.

Butler Amusements represents an investment of more than $25 million and includes more than 100 rides and attractions.

Winter quarters are located in Santa Nella, close to Interstate 5.

Butler’s corporate offices are in San Jose.

It takes a huge logistical operation and multi-million investment to run a carnival, but the final goal is still raw enjoyment.

Butler constantly adds new rides to its carnival.

Because of Butler’s size, the company can rotate rides from location to location, each year providing a new line-up of midway attractions.

This year, a ride known as the Fireball is expected at the Lodi festival midway.

The Fireball lifts riders high into the air.

As a main boom swings, the seats begin to spin.

Another new ride is the Kite Flyer, in which riders lie horizontally instead of sitting.

They are buckled in, and the ride turns and rises before gently settling back to Earth.

Also new is Club Fun, a trip through a maze of sights and sounds.

The ride includes music, lights and picturesque scenery.

One of the main suppliers of Butler rides is Chance Industries, Inc., in Wichita, Kan.

Chance is located on 40 acres and houses 395,000 square feet of manufacturing space.

The factory includes weld fabrication, a machine shop, fiberglass shop, plastic vacuum forming and molding, paint areas, hydraulics and electrical departments, subassembly departments and prototype departments.

Chance began in 1960 when Harold Chance established the business.

With a handful of employees, he designed and built the C.P. Huntington miniature train, a gas-powered, hand-crafted scale replica of an 1863 Central pacific Railroad train.

It is still in production and over 300 of the C.P. Huntingtons are in operation.

Butler also presents a variety of games.

Standards include the dime toss, in which folks can pitch coins in hopes of winning cups, platters and dishes.

There are also dart toss games and air gun guns.

Because it is typically still warm in Lodi when the fair is held, Butler also brings several water-oriented games to town.

Along with rides and games, midways serve up food.

That’s also Butler’s responsibility, and a menu of favorites including corn dogs and cotton candy are offered, along with more contemporary choices such as pizza and nachos.

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