For some, carnival foods rule

 It's summertime and that means indulging in the fried, yummy goodness of carnival food.

From the traditional candy apples and funnel cakes to the more unusual chocolate-covered frozen bananas, local food lovers can enjoy some guilty indulgences.


Larry Moats of Fayetteville, Pa., teased that he went into training for the Waynesboro Fire Department's annual Carnival at the Quincy Ox Roast Grounds last week.

Moats ate only half a ham-and-cheese sandwich before going to the fair, so he could save plenty of room for a big splurge at the carnival.

"I look forward to the food. It's fattening, decadent and all that good stuff — that's absolutely what makes it great," Moats said.

He couldn't pass by Antietam Dairy's trademark blue truck but thought it best to buy a cup of Loose Moose-flavored ice cream rather than a cone.

"The weather's not conducive to a cone. And don't ask me what's in the Loose Moose," Moats said. "I just like the name — that's why I got it."

Owner of Antietam Dairy Jake Sweet said the unique name — Loose Moose — contains chocolate and peanut butter cup. It's one of the dairy's 80 homemade flavors.

"I already had a pork tenderloin and a Pepsi to wash it all down. Next on the list is either a country ham or a steamer. I'm grazing and then I'm going home," Moats said.

Waynesboro Fire Department Carnival Chair Steve Biesecker said the event is one of the department's biggest fundraisers. Last year, the carnival raised $50,000.

Hungry customers waited for homemade food from the fire department's stand.

"The fire department food is the best. We take a lot of pride in what we make, and we buy locally," Biesecker said.

Lt. John Beck worked over a hot grill cooking up country ham, hamburgers and Italian sausage as temperatures in the kitchen rose to 100 degrees.

Beck and the other volunteers began their day at 2 p.m. working until 11 p.m. in order to satisfy everyone's appetite.

It's quite an undertaking to feed the hungry crowd at the carnival.

"We start out with 150 pounds of ground beef that we use strictly for steamers. We start out with 150 pounds of fresh patties, 100 pounds of hot dogs, 65 pounds of country ham, 50 pounds of bacon, three quarters of a ton of potatoes for french fries, 100 dozen hamburger rolls, 50 dozen steak rolls and 50 dozen hot dog rolls," said Jerry Hartman, kitchen chair and fire marshal.

He said the biggest seller is the cheeseburger and the bacon cheeseburger — with two strips of bacon piled on each burger.

The average cost of a sandwich is $4.

"We have a lot of repeat customers," Hartman said.