Let’s ride! Five thrill-seeking options of all sizes on the Western Fair midway

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The granddaddy of fall fairs in Southwestern Ontario, Western Fair is back for another 10-day run with one of the largest midways in the country. Reporter Beatriz Baleeiro sizes up the rides and the people who want to line up to try them out.

FOR THRILL SEEKERS

The hair-raising X-Drive is worth trying if you want to get spun around in the air, both high and low to the ground. Remember to empty your pockets before getting into the two-armed ride with two spinning gondolas at the end of each arm. You’ll get rotated like a sock inside a washing machine. Shaped kind of like a big X that lights up after dark, it’s a “crazy” ride, said Brie Lue-Kim, who’s been going to the fair since she was a little kid. “I love this one because it goes upside down,” she said. She also recommends the Ring of Fire for those looking for maximum excitement.

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FOR FAIR DIE-HARDS

For high school classmates Josh Ayres and Torren Ferguson, the Cliff Hanger, which simulates hang gliding, is a go-to ride at the fair. You lie down in a horizontal position, facing the ground, on this rotating ride with music blasting in the background as you fly around. “It’s fun, it’s not scary,” Ayres said. Another standard for those who can’t get enough of the midway is the giant Ferris wheel, which – although closed for maintenance as the fair opened Friday – may be the most iconic of all midway rides, something everyone knows even before they get to the fair. It also offers a great view of the midway from its cars suspended on the big, revolving vertical wheel

FOR LITTLE KIDS

The Raptor Run promises a good time for youngsters who love dinosaurs and nostalgic parents who remember the ’90s-era Jurassic Park movies. The Raptor Run seats two to a car and moves in circles at a merry-go-round speed with exciting but gentle turns and bumps that get giggles out of riders of any age. “I had no idea that was going to happen,” said Jordan Gester, who came off the amusement with a big smile after riding with her child, three-year-old Miles. “Mom was laughing so hard,” Miles said. The ride is next to the spinning tea cups on the Kiddyland side of the midway, where fair-goers can also catch London’s Doo Doo the Clown performing throughout the fair’s run.

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FOR THE RIDE-SHY CROWD

You want in on the fun but nothing too wild? No problem. There are options for those looking for gentler excitement. Consider the Crazy Mouse Coaster, for example, near the fair’s main entrance. After hitting the tea cup ride, moving up to the Crazy Mouse Coaster was no big deal for sisters Emily and Allie Regan-Swift, 11 and 13, respectively, who came off it saying they had fun and were ready to try another ride. The coaster is a smaller and less intimidating version of those famed amusement park roller coasters, one with a slower speed and no stomach-churning peaks and valleys or going upside-down. Its sharp and unbanked turns are quick, like the movements of its namesake.

FOR COUPLES

Whether you’re there for the rides, or just want to soak up the midway’s sights, sounds and foods, a trip to the fair can make a great date night or afternoon. Many of the rides have seating that allows you to closely share your excitement – or trepidation – with your partner. One option for couples – a teenaged twosome making their second annual trip to the fair vouched for it – is the high-energy Polar Express, whose cars circle backward and forward fast on an undulating platform amid flashing lights with a lively host warning when the direction will change.

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RIDE PRICES

Rides are priced in coupons, which aren’t included in the fair’s general admission charge. Most adult rides cost five or six coupons, and the children’s rides four. You can buy four coupons for $5, 20 for $20 and 50 for $50. An all-day ride pass is $47. On the fair’s final day, passes will go for $30. The fair runs through Sept. 15, with gates opening at 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. The gate admission is $16 plus HST ($10 on the final day), with children 10 and under and seniors 65 and older free.

MORE INFORMATION

For more details, including about the rides and fair promotions, go to westernfair.ca

bbaleeiro@postmedia.com

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