Coastal Carolina Fair Announces New Ride Partnership, Roller Coasters For Fall

LADSON — The Coastal Carolina Fair has changed ride partners for the first time since 1958, bringing in new roller coasters, a 126-foot-tall Ferris wheel and updated carnival games to the Exchange Park this fall. 

After more than 60 years using Amusements of America, the country's largest traveling amusement park, the fair has switched over to Reithoffer Shows. 

The change comes at the end of a contract cycle, said Gary Leonard, the fair's chairman of media and press relations. 

"We reviewed all of our contracts, requests for proposals and what the market was bearing, what people could offer us, as we're constantly looking to improve the experience for our patrons," said Leonard. 

New rides with new thrills were a big draw, he added. 

The Coastal Carolina Fair's new president, Donnie Pitts, who took over his two-year term after serving as first vice president last year and on the board of directors for the last six years, agreed that the switch came from wanting to make sure the fair was up to date and offering new options for longtime patrons. 

"It's something different that the residents of the Lowcountry can get excited about," Pitts said. 

The Midway Committee and the Coastal Carolina Fair's board of directors unanimously approved the switch to Reithoffer. 

The Dutch Wheel will be the tallest Ferris wheel ever featured at the Coastal Carolina Fair. Provided

The family-owned business has been around since 1896 and provides the midway attractions, carnival games and some fair food pop-ups for around 30 fairs in the United States. It's the fourth-largest midway operator in America, with around 200 employees. 

“We were impressed with their attractions lineup, schedule of fairs and festivals and the fact that it is a five-generation, 126-year-old company,” Pitts said. “The Reithoffer family knows the carnival ride business as well as anyone in the country."

Approximately 65 rides will be featured at the Coastal Carolina Fair this fall, including the new Dutch Wheel, a gondola car-style Ferris wheel that was made in Holland; the Rampage, one of the largest portable roller coasters of its kind; and The Beast, a rotating, pendulum-arm thriller that fully circles around while 80 feet up in the air. 

The Rampage is a new roller coaster that will be at this fall's Coastal Carolina Fair. Provided

Among other new offerings will be fresh food options in the midway area in addition to the large circle of food stands around the lake that the Coastal Carolina Fair books separately. Fried doughs, sausage sandwiches, candy apples and corn dogs will be among them. 

David Grimm, Reithoffer's director of business development and marketing, said the company has two units on the road that travel around the country during fair season, which typically kicks off in July and stretches through November. 

The Coastal Carolina Fair will be the group's second add in South Carolina, joining Aiken's Western Carolina Fair. 

The fair is set for Oct. 26 through Nov. 6. 

Get a weekly list of tips on pop-ups, last minute tickets and little-known experiences hand-selected by our newsroom in your inbox each Thursday.

Reach Kalyn Oyer at 843-371-4469. Follow her on Twitter @sound_wavves.

Watch NBC News NOW Live - September 4