This 1989 Memorial Day weekend festival was in the Kmart parking lot in Carol Stream.
Daily Herald file photo
Every town has theirs. Every summer they grab your attention with movement, color and sound.
While looking through the Daily Herald archives, we discovered that carnivals have not changed much over the decades. There may be a few new midway rides in your local carnival this summer, but the basics are always there.
You can count on the Ferris wheel and the Zipper to anchor the midway, while high-pitched screams and the rumble of wheels on steel rails fill the summer air. The colorful rides take on a moody glow as the carnival winds down for the day in each local town.
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A carousel horse gleams in the sun at the Greater American Carnival at Meadowdale Shopping Center in Carpentersville in 1994.
Daily Herald file photo
Teacher Jackie Jabcon, of Wauconda takes a dunk into the Dunktank as the Ferris wheel looms in the background at Waucondafest in 1994.
Daily Herald file photo
Workers assemble a large Ferris wheel at Recreation Park in Arlington Heights in time for the July Fourth weekend in 1993.
Daily Herald file photo
A photo taken with an extreme wide angle lens in 1989 shows people enjoying "motorized swings" at FamilyFest at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Wheeling.
Daily Herald file photo
A huge crowd attended a festival in Vernon Hills in 1993.
Daily Herald file photo
This is a long shutter speed exposure taken at night of an unnamed carnival in May of 1973.
Daily Herald file photo
Riders on the Tilt-a-Whirl soar through the summer air at the 10th annual Waucondafest in 1989.
Daily Herald file photo
Children zoom past the lens in this photograph of a 1992 Carol Stream Labor Day festival.
Daily Herald file photo
An aerial view of the 1990 Glendale Heights Summerfest grounds from the top of The Largest Ferris wheel.
Daily Herald file photo
The photo shows Kamikaze midway ride and the Saturday crowd at the 1993 Septemberfest in Schaumburg.
Daily Herald file photo
People are wearing heavy coats in this June, 1993 photo of the Rose Festival in Roselle.
Daily Herald file photo
A long exposure shows the patterns of midway rides at the 1993 Winfield Good Old Days Festival.
Daily Herald file photo
The 1988 Rotary Fall Fest and Taste of Elk Grove Village had midway rides, food and music that kept children and adults in a festive mood, according to the cutline on this photo.
Daily Herald file photo
This 1990 photo, taken in Wauconda, shows the popular Zipper midway ride. This ride is still a big draw at local carnivals.
Daily Herald file photo
The caption says thrill rides will entertain visitors to the Hanover Park Harvest Fest in 1993.
Daily Herald file photo
This photo from 1990 shows the midway rides at the Arlington Heights Frontier Days.
Daily Herald file photo
Shot from the Ferris wheel in 1990, this photo shows the grounds of the Bloomingdale Family Fest at Springfield Park.
Daily Herald file photo
The Sea Dragon was photographed in 1991 at Naperville's Last Fling.
Daily Herald file photo
This 1991 photo was taken from a Ferris wheel at a festival in Carol Stream on Labor Day weekend.
Daily Herald file photo
This photograph was taken in the evening at an unnamed festival in 1984.
Daily Herald file photo