Some community fairs in the Ottawa area say they’re worried they may not get the midway they paid for after their company failed to show up to one over the weekend.

Dale Murray is part of the organizing committee for the Maxville Fair, held annually about 75 kilometres east of Ottawa.

He said they hired Mississauga-based Billy G Amusements to provide midway rides and other attractions for the 126th edition of the fair, which ran June 19 to 22.

“Friday morning when we got back there was no midway and things got a little tense,” he said Wednesday.

“We just put our head down, kept working and we just kept hoping they’d show up. But they didn’t.”

Murray said the fair lost money and attendance because there was no midway and he’s still waiting for an explanation from Billy G, which still lists the Maxville Fair on their "upcoming events" list.

Midway companies have to balance prices

The case of the Maxville Fair has left other local community events who’ve booked a midway with Billy G Amusements worried about their events.

The Chesterville, Almonte and Arnprior fairs have also enlisted the services of the company, one of few they say provide midways in Ontario.

Dan Gasser helps run the Chesterville Fair, set for July 25 to 27, and said covering the cost of a midway is a challenge.

“It’s a hard balance to figure out, what will… let them make money because they do need to make money and what’s the pricing that’s acceptable to a family to come down, that’s actually affordable to them?” he said.

Gasser said he’s spoken to Billy G Amusements since this past weekend and they’ve assured him their rides will be there.

Billy G Amusements did not return phone calls or emails from the CBC.