CARTERS Steam Fair is set to find new ownership, after the Carter family announced it was selling up.
Its current tour will prove to be its last with the current owners, Joby and Georgina Carter.
Once the tour concludes in October, the collection of vintage rides and attractions will go on sale in November.
In a post on the fairground’s website, Joby and Georgina said, on behalf of the Carter family: “After much consideration, we have taken the decision that 2022 will be our final tour.
“After having toured our unique range of vintage fairground rides and vehicles around the UK for the last 45 years, it is now time for a new chapter.”
The steam fair is currently touring, stopping in Maidenhead until Monday, May 2.
It will continue travelling as planned through the summer, before stopping for its final weekend in Prospect Park, Reading, in October.
In the online post, Joby and Georgina said: “We have been looking for suitable land for the fair to be placed on and have talked to the council and other landowners around the UK.
“As a family run business with expertise in restoration and travelling the fair, we have done our best to familiarise ourselves with the endless details of planning laws.
“We are now facing the reality that the best future for the fair is for it to be re-homed on a permanent site and operated by someone else.”
The sale of the collection will be the first time a fully operating vintage funfair has been sold.
It currently has a guide price of £2.5 million.
“We are keen that the new owners will ensure that our beloved collection of iconic fairground rides and side stall games that we have curated over the years will continue to be enjoyed as an irreplaceable piece of British living history for generations to come.
“For Carters, it’s time to pass the baton and let someone else continue the magic.”
The fair was started in 1977 by Joby’s parents, John and Anna Carter, who wanted to preserve fairground history.
They bought the Jubilee steam gallopers, similar to a carousel, in 1976 and began work restoring the attraction, which dates back to 1890s.
From the gallopers, the Carter family built a collection of classic attractions, most constructed between the 1890s and 1960s.
Now totalling 13 rides, the collection also includes a fleet of traditionally restored wagons, which the fair’s employees use as living quarters, and a Gavioli organ previously owned by Roger Daltrey.
In 1999, John Carter was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma, and died the following year.
The Carter family decided to continue John’s work, touring and restoring the fair.
In recent years it has been maintained by Joby and Georgina, as well as other members of the family, and is known as the largest travelling vintage fair in the world.
Under their stewardship, the fair continued to expand.
Joby established workshops and courses for traditional signwriting, as his work on the fair’s decoration is famously distinctive.
The fair has also been opened up for tours, covering the history of the attractions and fairground art.
Joby’s work has even spread online, with his work garnering around 400,000 views on TikTok, which he will focus on after the sale of the fair.
In the online post, the family expressed their thanks and said: “We are keen to spread the word as far and wide as we can in the hope of finding a suitable new owner and forever home.
“In the meantime, please join us at an event and make 2022 our best year ever! Take photos and videos and make magical memories with your family. Remember to tag us with #Carters2022 so we can join in the fun.”
Carters Steam Fair is in Maidenhead from Saturday, April 30, to Monday, May 2.
It will return for its final weekend of the current ownership to Prospect Park on Saturday, October 15, and Sunday, October 16.
