Some Michigan fairs make the switch to biodiesel

Some Michigan fairs make the switch to biodiesel

FRANKENMUTH, Mich. The Bavarian Festival looks, sounds and smells like most other traveling amusement shows, except for one small detail.

 

Inside an unassuming white trailer is a 350-kilowatt generator that powers the festival with biodiesel. The only sign of the generator is the black power cords that snake across the grass-pressed ground.

 

The generator used to release a thick, black smoke from its vents that could be seen from across the fair and would sometimes bother those enjoying the rides.

 

Since the switch to biodiesel, the smoke looks more like rising heat blurring one's vision on a hot day. The company also is using biodiesel in its trucks that lug the show from city to city.

 

The Bavarian Festival is one of about 60 county fairs, carnivals and hometown festivals in the state that will be powered by biodiesel this summer as Michigan-based amusement companies search for solutions for high diesel prices.