Fair Game with Robert Smith

Delighting Audiences: A Conversation with Magician Henry Rivera
Join us for an episode with Florida-based magician, Henry Rivera. Discover his journey through magic, from early fascination to career-defining moments. Hear about his approach to captivating audiences and the psychology of magic. Uncover the the sheer artistry and charisma of this renowned magician.

The High-Flying Life of Shane Hansen
In this gripping episode, we dive into the exhilarating world of Shane Hansen, the charismatic star of the renowned Rock-N-Circu show that has been captivating audiences all over America. Shane takes us behind the scenes of his adrenaline-pumping stunt show, offering an exclusive peek into the heart-stopping details and intricate preparation that goes into each hair-raising performance.
As the conversation unfolds, Shane opens up about a deeply personal battle with alcohol addiction that threatened to derail his career and personal life. With unflinching honesty, he shares the harrowing journey of how he confronted his demons and ultimately found redemption through sobriety. Shane's candid account of his struggles and triumphs serves as a powerful testament to the transformative power of resilience and the unwavering human spirit.
Tune in to this episode for an enthralling blend of high-octane tales from the Rock-N-Circus world and an inspiring narrative of Shane's journey to sobriety.

We spoke to dozens of fair managers & board members about kids activity zones. What they shared was eye-opening.

Cheryl Flood knows she’s one of the lucky ones. As executive director of the Florida State Fair, she is one of the few fair managers who actually had a fair back in 2020 just prior to the Covid pandemic being declared. While her 2020 fair was a success, she did not escape the pandemic unscathed. As the vaccine began to be distributed the decision had to be made to delay the 2021 Florida State Fair by several months. We talk about that decision and more on today’s episode.

Gene Cassidy is the President of the Eastern States Exposition, affectionately known as The Big E! He’s also the current chair of the IAFE Executive Committee. He joins us today from The Big E! to talk about how they’ve navigated the Covid pandemic and what he’s most looking forward to when the fair opens its gates this fall.

Samantha Fairlie is the owner at, “The Pretzel Lady,” a hand-rolled pretzel business based out of St. Augustine, Florida. Not only are her pretzels delicious, she’s the proud owner of one of the most amazing food trailers in the entire industry. When I first saw it my first thought was, “this is the kind of set up you’d see at EPCOT in Disney World during Food & Wine Fest.” We talk about that amazing display and more on today’s episode.

Carey Harveycutter faced the challenges of 2020 with patience, making decisions focused on the health of his staff and community. It’s 2021 now and the folks at the Salem Fair are ready to open. With their dates fast approaching the pandemic is waning just in time for the 2021 Salem Fair.

Producer’s Note: This episode was pre-recorded on Wednesday, June 9th, 3 weeks prior to the fair’s opening night on Wednesday, June 30th.

If you’ve ever met Cale Moon you know he’s not only an incredibly talented country artist but also one of the kindest men you’d ever meet. We sit down to talk about how he handled pandemic life and the joy of knowing our industry is coming back.

When Adam the Great is performing his magic will amaze, amuse, daze & confuse. It’s a family friendly show that delights all ages at fairs across the country - except for in 2020. On today’s show Adam and I talk about his approach to performing as well as his 2020 story.

Danny Aguilar is the Assistant GM & Director of Marketing for the Delaware State Fair. After the pandemic shut our industry down in March of 2020, Danny and the team in Delaware worked hard to find a way to open safely. In July of 2020 they were first in the nation to open after the pandemic shut us down. Danny joined me to talk about that and their plans for 2021 on today’s show.