A carnival company at the center of a recent ride accident in Butte opened in Livingston this week, drawing renewed attention to safety concerns and raising questions about how public venues vet outside operators.
Watch the video below:
Midway West Amusements opened Thursday at the Park County Fairgrounds, less than a week after a 13-year-old boy was seriously injured after falling from the Yo-Yo ride during a carnival stop in Butte. The incident remains under investigation, and the teen continues to recover in the hospital.
The Arizona-based company is not new to Park County.
Morgan Squires, parks and fairgrounds director for Park County, said Midway West Amusements previously operated in Livingston in 2022 following the historic Yellowstone-area flooding.
"At that time, we didn't notice any security or safety concerns from Midway West," Squires said.
But this year's visit comes under different circumstances.
Squires said the Yo-Yo ride involved in the Butte incident is not operating in Livingston.
"The ride in question will not be here," she said.
Related: Teen injured after falling from ride at Butte carnival
As investigators continue examining what led to the accident, discussion surrounding the carnival has spread across social media. Some community members have encouraged others to avoid attending, while others say the investigation remains ongoing and that it is too early to determine fault.
The situation has also prompted questions about what role the fairgrounds plays when outside organizations lease public property.
Squires said operators must meet specific requirements before they are allowed to host events at the fairgrounds, including insurance and operational standards.
"I am given a certain set of criteria for which I can vet and approve and not approve events," Squires said.
She said a carnival of this size is required to carry significant insurance coverage.
"A carnival like this, it's going to have about $4 million aggregate coverage for Park County," she said.
Midway West Amusements has also faced scrutiny outside Montana.
In 2021, the Utah Attorney General's Office announced human labor trafficking charges against the owner of Midway West Amusements.
When asked whether that history would be enough to prevent a group from leasing the fairgrounds, Squires said the county's authority is limited because the property is a public facility.
"We can't deny anybody the right to gather or lease our facility," Squires said. "That would go to the county attorney's office, and they would have to make that recommendation for us to not lease our facility because it is a public facility."
Park County Attorney Chad Glenn echoed that position in a statement.
"The County cannot deny access to public facilities based solely on unproven allegations or a single incident occurring elsewhere that remains under review by the appropriate authorities," Glenn said.
Midway West Amusements did not respond to requests for comment from MTN News.
Despite the attention surrounding the company, attendance appeared modest on opening night. Roughly two hours after the carnival opened Thursday evening, about 50 people were at the fairgrounds.
Full statement from Park County Attorney:
"Our thoughts remain with the child injured in the recent incident in Butte and with their family. Any incident involving the safety of a child is deeply concerning, and we understand why community members have questions.
We are also aware that concerns have been raised regarding past labor trafficking allegations associated with individuals connected to Midway West Amusements. Allegations of that nature are serious and deserve appropriate attention.
At the same time, Park County must make decisions based on verified information, applicable law, and established County requirements. The carnival has met the requirements applicable to its event and facility use agreement. The County cannot deny access to public facilities based solely on unproven allegations or a single incident occurring elsewhere that remains under review by the appropriate authorities.
Public safety remains our highest priority. If credible information from the appropriate authorities indicates further action is necessary, the County will review that information and respond accordingly."
