The Thomas Carnival was founded in 1928 by Art B. Thomas in Lennox, South Dakota. The Thomas Carnival has been owned and operated by the members of the Thomas family continuously since then. Presently there are fourth generation family members working in the business. Since 1928 the Thomas Carnival has been devoted to Art Thomas’ idea of providing clean, safe and wholesome family entertainment for its customers. Art initially began the carnival with two attractions operating in the southeastern area of South Dakota. Over the years the operating area has grown larger and the number of attractions has increased where now our area of operation includes 10 states and we can offer up to 50 rides, 50 games and 15 food concessions. We also provide our customers with many creature comforts including shaded rest areas with benches, covering for hoses and wires, signs and instructions regarding game and ride rules and operations, but most importantly, easy access to staff members in case of a concern or problem. We have provided a safe, clean, wholesome entertainment environment just as Art B. Thomas envisioned. When you walk our midways you will notice our customers having fun.

In Memory of Bernard P. Thomas

Former carnival owner Bernard P. Thomas passed away in Austin, Texas, on April 11, 2007. His Mighty Thomas Carnival has provided the midway for fairs and celebrations in 15 states and in Canada for over 50 years. He was 83. Born November 28, 1923 in Lennox, South Dakota to Vern and Florence Thomas, he grew up on the carnival started in 1928 by his uncle, Art B. Thomas, working on the pony ride, steam train ride, and in the penny arcade. He married Marvis Smith on January 15, 1944, and then served in the United States Army during World War II as a tank driver in the 893rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, surviving five battle campaigns including the Battle of the Bulge. After the war, he returned to work on the carnival, purchasing a show from Art in 1951. Bernard operated the Thomas Carnival, Inc., for the next 35 years. In 1986, he sold the corporation to his daughters and their husbands, Margaret and Tom Atkins and Carolyn and John Hanschen. Bernard enjoyed aviation, earning his private pilot’s license in 1948 and an instrument rating in 1970, and flew his own plane for over forty years. He was a member and Past President of the Showmen’s League of America, the Outdoor Amusement Business Association and the Midwest Showmen’s Association. He was also a member Onion Creek Country Club, a fifty-year member of the Onion Creek Masonic Lodge and a fifty-year member of Ben Hur Shrine Temple. He was named Association of Iowa Fairs Man of the Year in 1979; elected to the Canadian Association of Exhibitions Roll of Honour in 1983; received the Distinguished Achievement Award from the South Dakota Press Association in 1988; named to the South Dakota Fairman’s Hall of Fame in 1991; and elected to the Outdoor Amusement Business Association Hall of Fame in 2001. He was Commander in Chief of Onion Creek American Legion Post in 1999. He was a member of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas, and also served a term as church treasurer. He golfed, scoring his first hole-in-one in 1991, his last in 1994. Bernard is survived by his wife of 63 years, Marvis Thomas; his daughters Deanna (Ross Payne), of Lockhart, Texas; Margaret (Tom Atkins) and Carolyn (John Hanschen) of Austin; sister Doris Peterson of Worthing, South Dakota; grandsons Christopher Atkins (Kristin), Andrew Hanschen, and Mike Hanschen; granddaughters Alison Denton (Loren), Dawn Kingsbury, Lisa Jardine, and Katherine Petree (Brandon); five great grandchildren and a host of good friends.