Whanganui Mega Carnival hoping to attract thrill-seekers this weekend

Carnival organiser Paul Mahon of Mahons Amusements. Photo / Bevan Conley

The Whanganui Mega Carnival is set to draw hundreds of thrill-seekers to the racecourse this weekend.

The carnival, open all weekend, boasts 15 different attractions from merry-go-rounds to dodgems, with the main attraction Turbo Boost launching brave occupants metres into the sky.

"We've just come from Wellington, and that was one of the best show's we've had in years. People were really keen to get out," organiser Paul Mahon said.

"If it's been going like these other shows we've been doing, I'm expecting people will be keen to get out."

The carnival is free to enter, with a ticket system used to purchase rides.

Between 7pm and 10pm on Friday and Saturday night, the carnival offers an "unlimited ride" pass, albeit with some exclusions, for $39.

The company that operates the carnival, Mahons Amusements, has been running carnivals across New Zealand since 1948. Mahon said 2020 has been one of the most challenging years in the group's history.

"This year we shut up shop in March. We lost some big events, some already 90 per cent set up. It's been a very long winter."

Around 25 staff work on each event, which involves transporting a convoy of 25 trucks and caravans across New Zealand.

"It's a lifestyle that some people enjoy, but to get people into that lifestyle, it's quite hard."