Ferris wheel returns to Fort Bragg’s Carnival by the Sea

FORT BRAGG, Ca., 7/10/24 — The backers of Carnival by the Sea in Fort Bragg had one vital question: Would Big Eli make it over Highway 20 for 2024’s carnival? In 2023, the iconic Ferris wheel didn’t make it to Fort Bragg. And what is a carnival without a Ferris wheel?

Midway of Fun Amusements, which puts on the carnival, has several carnivals running at the same time. “They divide up the rides between those places,” said Cindy Lemas of the Fort Bragg/Mendocino Lions Club.  “Last year they really heard from people that they were disappointed not getting the Ferris wheel and Zipper — so this year they decided to [bring them].” Illinois’ Eli Bridge Company makes US Ferris wheels, so Big Eli is a good moniker for the ever-popular rides.

And the view from this particular Big Eli is a guaranteed winner with the ocean to the west and antique trains all around. The Carnival by the Sea runs July 11-14, from 4-10 p.m., in one of Fort Bragg’s most visible yet least accessible spots, on the oceanfront property previously used as a millsite by Georgia Pacific and now owned by Mendocino Railway aka California Western Railroad, operators of the Skunk Train. The railroad company opened the property for each of the last three years for the Lions Club fundraiser, but it’s closed to the public otherwise.

Fort Bragg’s oceanfront property was not accessible for more than a hundred years. But in the 21st century, the California Coastal Commission and the city of Fort Bragg purchased the oceanfront areas of the property for a spectacular section of the California Coastal Trail. The 600-plus acres between the trail and downtown Fort Bragg remained in the hands of Georgia Pacific until the property was sold to Mendocino Railway. 

The carnival is sited adjacent to Fort Bragg’s largest buildings, the former Georgia Pacific drying sheds. The twin buildings, the size of aircraft hangers, were slated for demolition at one time by the city. A resident sued, and the massive “sheds” were saved. The buildings themselves are fenced off, and no entry is allowed during the carnival. Skunk Train ownership has been fixing up many of the most dilapidated buildings on the former Georgia Pacific property, a move that is controversial with the city, which has argued in court the railroad doesn’t have the right to do so without city permission.

On Sunday, July 28 at 1 p.m at Lions Hall on Redwood Ave. in Fort Bragg, the club offers a free presentation from Canine for Companions, a Lions-sponsored organization that provides companion dogs for disabled people and veterans.

The club also has annual fundraisers such as the Haunted House and Easter egg hunt to raise money for efforts like the Christmas Day Senior Dinner and vocational scholarships for graduating seniors headed to trade schools.

Carnival by the Sea runs July 11-14 at the end of W. Redwood Avenue behind the Company Store in Fort Bragg. The carnival is open Thursday-Friday 4-10 p.m. and Saturday-Sunday 12-10 p.m. Tickets are $30 pre-sale or $35 at the door. Tickets are available here.

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