Late Nite Carnival helped by warm weather

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After scrawling his black marker across the large tablet, Darryl Pyle shakes his drawing hand and leans over to ask the patron how to spell their name, never breaking his smile.

As a caricature artist for the Late Nite Carnival, Pyle was hard at work for the Late Nite event, drawing a long, continuous line of carnival goers. It’s a good thing that Pyle has years of experience.

“I used to work for Disney and Dreamworks animation when I was in my 20s," he said. "I did that for 11 years, and now I do this. But this is a lot of fun, to just show up and draw people.”

The 11th year of the Carnival was packed with students and community members with an estimated 800 students pre-registering alone, said Alicia Fitzgerald, Late Nite adviser.

When the gates opened for general admission at 7 p.m., more than 200 people were lined up, waiting for their chance to shrug off winter.

Warm, clear weather played a role in attendance — the last few years have been plagued with snow and rain.

Throughout the night, it became nearly impossible to walk through the midway without squeezing between a group of friends waiting, often for up to half an hour, to ride one of the many attractions.

When participants grew tired or too queasy to spin, flip and soar on the rides Late Nite offered free games with prizes including hacky sacks and suckers.

For those willing to wager a little money for the chance to take home an overstuffed, large plush character, Poor Jack Amusements offered traditional games, including water gun races.

This year’s event offered a new spectacle, a firework show over LaFollette Complex.

For Pyle, though, the lights and sound are just another day at work.

After seeing an artist working at a theme park, he said he thought it looked fun and tried his hand. It blossomed into a full-time job.

Pyle slides out his latest caricature and hands it to the model, revealing his drawing board covered in names.

“Sometimes, I have people write their names down if they have a unique spelling,” he said.

Pyle gestured to the next guest in line and started on another sketch that will commemorate a treasured night at the Late Nite Carnival.

Take a look at our live updates from Friday to see what you might have missed.

1:06 p.m. Temperature: 54°F Precipitation: None The 11th Late Nite Carnival has officially ended. Carnival goers are streaming out of the gates as rides spin, flip and twirl for the last time until next spring. Fair weather led to more people at the carnival this year as opposed to the last few when rain and sleet fell on the event. 12:40 p.m. Temperature: 54°F Precipitation: None The cool temperatures aren't stopping Ball State students and Muncie locals from enjoying the rides, games, and food. Lines are noticeably smaller, though, as the event begins to wind down. The carnival is easier to navigate as people head home or wait for the carnival bus outside the Duck Pond. 10:40 p.m. Temperature: 55°F Precipitation: None Freshman telecommunications major Amber Perry rode her fist carnival ride tonight. "Prior to tonight, I've never ridden a carnival ride," she said. "My first ride was 1001 Nights. I loved it, it was awesome. It was rickety at first, but I couldn't think about it because of the free fall." Perry and her boyfriend Christian Bradley, a freshman computer science major, waited in line to ride one of the most popular rides at tonight's carnival, Freak Out. Unlike his girlfriend Bradley is a veteran when it comes to carnival rides. "This is my favorite ride because it's the most intense," he said. Bradley said he thinks the wait for the ride may be around an hour, he can’t even see the ride he is waiting for, but that isn’t too bad, he said. Not for a ride he can convince his girlfriend to ride on. 9:35 p.m. Temperature: 57°F Precipitation: None As a slight chill starts to set in, the Carnival is getting into full swing. It is impossible to walk down the impromptu midway without bobbing and weaving through pedestrians like a game of bumper cars. Lines for funnel cakes, elephant ears and other fair favorites are merging with those for attractions as people look for food with their fun. Bob Mattax, owner of Slop on Top, is looking to sell something a little different. "It's Ball State carnival, why wouldn't I be here?" Mattax said. "But we are also giving an option for people who don't want to ruin their bodies for the fair. We are offering something at least barely healthy put over rice. "[Running a food truck] is hard, especially in Muncie because for one, Muncie doesn't get food trucks yet. You are looking at the only two — [Puerta's food truck is next to Slop on Top.]" That doesn't stop Mattax from working though. "This is my blood, sweat and tears." 8:30 p.m. Temperature: 62°F Precipitation: None After an hour and a half of full admission, participants have to wait in line through multiple rotations before riding. As the sun begins to set, the Carnival's rides light up the nightlong event with traditional bright reds, yellows, blues and greens. The lines grow longer and people are beginning to play games in hopes of winning prizes.That doesn't stop those who are here just for the "thrill of it," like Kassidy Julian, a freshman elementary education major. She stepped off the 1001 Nachts, a ride that takes passengers 86 feet in the air and swoops them down again several times over the course of a ride. Her three friends consoled her in a group hug, telling her to breathe. "It will be OK," she said, waving a few tears off her face. "I don't normally do things like this. But I kept my eyes open, I'm hyperventilating, but you're only in college once. ... YOLO. "[I rode] because of my friends. They looked at me and said, 'We are riding this.' I said no, and they said, 'Too bad.' I couldn't just leave." 7:35 p.m. Temperature: 64°F Precipitation: None Around 200 people, who didn't pre-register, waited in line at 7 p.m. Brock Sumner, a senior psychology major, was one of the first few in this line. "[We got here early] to maximize the fun," Sumner said. "This is the first year there has been nice weather, so we decided to come. "Actually, [the Carnival] was one of me and my girlfriend's first dates. We have been together for about two years now. We may ride the Ferris wheel again [like the first time we came.]" 6:37 p.m. Temperature: 64°F Precipitation: None A short line at the main entrance greeted those who arrived early to ride and play games. Families saw some difficulties as there was confusion on who could enter early. Only students or families who signed up early can enter between 6 and 7 p.m. Alicia Fitzgerald, Late Nite adviser "I'm hoping to see more [than last year] because the weather is so great," Fitzgerald said. "We haven't had many nice days like this. "Work starts on the Carnival in August even before classes start. It is kind of bitter sweet because these are the group of kids I have worked with all year. Now four of them are seniors and graduating." 6 p.m. Temperature: 64°F Precipitation: None The smell of fair food wafts over lines of students as the Carnival rides echo across the C1 commuter lot. Late Nite Carnival is about to begin. Bright lights and carnival jingles accompany the conversations from pre-registered students, who get to enter the Carnival at 6 p.m. for an extra hour. The Carnival has an assortment of 16 rides, with basics such as a Ferris wheel and bumper cars. Newer, less well-known rides make the list too, including Rock O’Plane. Entertainment, activities and games complete the spring event. “We will have music going all night, and we will have several bands coming in,” Fitzgerald said. Live performances will include “America’s Got Talent” semi-finalists Reverse Order and Ball State’s all-male a cappella group Note to Self. Deep-fried and battered food, Mexican cuisine and other options will be available for $4 or less. There also will be free food like popcorn, cotton candy and Pepsi, Fitzgerald said. “We work really hard to make sure there are free things for students,” she said. “So you can easily come to Carnival and not spend anything.” Carnival goers will be able to have their faces painted and to get balloons shaped like animals for free. This year, Late Nite added fireworks to the program.		Check out our full gallery here Scroll through the Storify to see tweets and Instagram photos from people at the Carnival. From NewsLink Indiana, here are live forecasts for tonight: Click the map or here for a printable version.