Company to unveil newest ride at Harvest Ridge
Kissel Amusement Co.’s new 75-foot gondola-style Ferris wheel is a rarity in Ohio, and the company chose to showcase it to the public and to fair board members all over Ohio at Harvest Ridge March 15-17.
Since 2021 the family ownership of Kissel Amusement Co. has been anticipating bringing a big addition to their stable of amusement rides, and 2024 will be the year they get to celebrate that new addition.
The starring addition to their bevy of rides will be the 75-foot-tall Expo Wheel, a behemoth Ferris wheel that features 16 individual gondolas that seat up to six people each.
“We wanted something that no one else in Ohio has, and we were very excited to have the opportunity to order the Expo Wheel in 2021 from a company in Baltimore,” said Nick Kissel, co-manager of Kissel Amusement Rides. “Our regular Ferris wheel is 50 feet, so people can get a sense of exactly how high this one is. We are eager to debut it and let everyone see how huge it is.”
But where to debut the new ride became the question.
With the ride company touring all over the Midwest, the ownership team had to figure out where they wanted to unleash this brand-new piece of equipment.
For the Kissel family, there was never any doubt.
From Friday, March 15 to Sunday, March 17, Kissel Amusement Co. will host a full carnival event at the Holmes County Fairgrounds at Harvest Ridge, where they will set up plenty of rides including the Expo Wheel and games and plenty of food.
“We wanted to debut the new ride at our absolutely favorite fairground,” Kissel said. “That is the most beautiful, accommodating fairground we attend and our favorite fair board we deal with, so it was an easy decision to bring it to Holmes County to make the debut.”
According to Kissel, the rides will be indoors in the expo center with a couple outside including the newest member of the ride family.
“We will have plenty of rides inside and a few outside including the Expo Wheel because there’s no way we can get that indoors,” Kissel said.
In creating this debut event, the Kissels have created a family-friendly carnival that will include two days that are open to the general public.
On Friday, March 15 from 6-10 p.m. and Sunday, March 17 from noon to 6 p.m., the carnival will be open to the general public. For $10 per person, families can come to the carnival and enjoy unlimited rides including the new Expo Wheel.
In addition, visitors can enjoy games and food, which are not a part of the $10 value.
“We wanted to make riding available for families, and they can have unlimited rides for as long as they are there,” Kissel said. “We made this very family-friendly.”
On Saturday, March 16, the Kissels will present a VIP by invitation only in which they are inviting fair board members and their families from all across Ohio to attend. They will roll out the red carpet on a day that will allow many fair board members and others to check out the new ride and enjoy a day of festivities with the Kissel family.
“This is a chance for us to get all of the different groups we contract with together for a fun day and show our appreciation for our partnership with them,” Kissel said. “They can all get a sense of what the Expo Wheel looks like, but more importantly, we want them to know how much we appreciate their partnership with us. And what better place to bring it all together than at Harvest Ridge?”
Harvest Ridge office manager Pat Martin and the entire Holmes County Fair board are honored the Kissel family chose their stomping grounds as the inaugural presentation of the gathering.
“We are honored they chose us to be the venue where they would showcase their new ride and bring all of these entities together for a day of celebration,” Martin said.
One other connection Kissel Amusement Co. has with a growing number of businesses in Holmes County is it is family owned and operated and has been for quite some time.
The company has been a family business for four generations, beginning way back in 1932.
Because of that commitment to family values, the Kissels understand how important being together as family is, especially to Holmes County, where family is such an integral part of life.
“That’s a big part of who we are as a company,” Kissel said. “We value that deeply. We love each other and work so well together. It’s such a big part of who we are, and we know that family is also important to the people of Holmes County, which is another reason we love coming there.”
Kissel said he looked up the statistics on family-owned businesses, and fourth-generation family companies are less than 2% of companies worldwide.
The Kissel family welcomes Holmes County’s families and anyone who loves the carnival atmosphere to join them on this special weekend.
To learn more about Kissel Amusement Co., visit www.kisselamusement.com.