Patty Conklin, Carnie King of Toronto w/John Thurston episode artwork

EPISODE · Aug 19, 2025 · 28 MIN

Patty Conklin, Carnie King of Toronto w/John Thurston

from Muddy York: A Toronto History Podcast · host Adam Waiser and Grayson Miller

If you went to the Ex from the 70s to the 90s, you may remember seeing a clown’s head logo with red hair, a black hat and plus signs over his eyes. The clown was named Conko and he was the logo for Conklin Shows, the company that managed the CNE midway alongside a host of other fairs across Canada and the U.S. John Thurston, author of Carnie King, joins us to talk about Patty Conklin, the huckster and showman who created Conklin Shows and built a carnival empire with Toronto and the CNE at its centre.You can follow Muddy York on Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Toronto_History⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Blue Sky: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/muddyyork.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/muddyyorkhistory/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Music:The Westerlies - The Dover Freedom Trail Studio - Classic 1985 Movie Soundtrack John Patitucci - Gridlock National Sweetheart - Candy Apple Town Freedom Trail Studio - Give my Regards to BroadwayNathan Moore - Up and At Em Freedom Trail Studio - Circa 1983Dyalla - Randy Butternubs

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published Aug 19, 2025

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

Patty Conklin, Carnie King of Toronto w/John Thurston

0:00 28:52

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Muddy York: A Toronto History Podcast?

This episode is 28 minutes long.

When was this Muddy York: A Toronto History Podcast episode published?

This episode was published on August 19, 2025.

Can I download this Muddy York: A Toronto History Podcast episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!