Fairgrounds

"...if you're going to do such things, at least you should do them properly." - Brigid Tenenbaum This article, Fairgrounds , or a section of this article may require overall cleanup.

Vigors on display at the Fairgrounds.

“Well, friends, I am here today to tell: those are no flights of fancy! Those are no tall tales told behind the pool hall! No sir, No ma’am, those are VIGORS I’m talking about…”

― Vigor Barker

The Fairgrounds are the carnival area of Columbia's Town Center; the area where the city celebrates their secession from the United States. In honor of the annual fair, the locale is celebrating the technological marvels Columbia has to offer such as the Sky-Lines, Easter & Sons Premium Automated Stallions, Voxophones, and even the amazing Handymen. In addition to the fair food, high striker game, clown, and bluegrass band, several stands are set up to entertain the masses with Vigors and carnival games.

Exhibits

Vigor Exhibit

Vigors being demonstrated at the Fairgrounds.

“Who amongst you has tasted the divine gift of the vigor! One swig, and feats of wonderment are at the tips of your fingers!”

― Vigor Barker

A vigor barker extols the virtues of Vigors to an amazed crowd. Two people in festive devil costumes demonstrate the power of Shock Jockey, Devil's Kiss, Bucking Bronco, and Possession in succession.

Bring Down the Sky-Line Vox

Bring Down the Sky-Line Vox.

A carnival game for a Shotgun practice to shoot as many Vox Populi targets off the Sky-Lines within 40 seconds.

Hunt Down the Vox

Hunt Down the Vox.

Practice using an air Carbine to shoot as many Vox Populi targets within 30 seconds. Bonus points for hitting the anarchist Daisy Fitzroy.

Cast Out the Devil

Cast Out the Devil.

Try out the Bucking Bronco Vigor to hit a man in a devil costume while trying to avoid hitting the woman and child.

A Veni! Vidi! Vigor! machine nearby offers 4 charges of Bucking Bronco for $375.

Sky-Line Stall

The Sky-Line display.

While observing the overheard boxcars roll down the rails, two citizens converse about how skyline riding was invented by adolescents looking for a joyride. However, casualties were high amongst the thrill-seeking youths using makeshift apparatus, leading Fink to invent the Sky-Hook.

Easter & Sons Premium Automated Stallions Stall

Automated Stallions on display at the Fairgrounds.

Mechanical horse paw the ground as spectators listen to the recorded messages explaining their useful functions.

Voxophone Stall

“Make a memoir. Record a ditty. Recite poetry for your little lady and play it ad-infinitum!”

― Voxophone Boothkeeper

Booker tries out a Voxophone at the insistence of the barker. It repeats back "What's a Voxophone". Booker declares that he's not paying for it to which the barker replies that it is merely a demonstration.

Handyman Stall

A Handyman on stage for a demonstration of Autobodies.

“Step right up and see the eighth wonder of the world! He's big! HE'S bold!”

― Handyman Barker

Two citizens converse with one admiring the Handyman's strength while the other feels pity.

Possession Stall

A beautiful lady offers her wares of bottles of Possession. Next to bottles of Salts, a gramophone and a projector provide further explanatory detail.

The free sample sign by the stall.

The Possession Stall.

Vendor giving Booker a sample bottle of Possession.

Booker using Possession on a vending machine.

BioShock Infinite

Main article: BioShock Infinite

After trying out some of the booths, Booker attempts to travel on to the Path of the Scroll. However, the raffle is sold out and the gates are locked by an overzealous admission machine. Fortunately, a Possession hawker offers him a free sample, permitting him to take over the machine who recognizes him as an Assemblyman Buford. Just behind the gates, a gentleman and a lady ask Booker to flip a coin before letting him pass.

New Discoveries

New Vigors

• Possession

Kinetoscope

1. The Envy of All His Peers

Gallery

Concept Art and Models

Concept art for the carnival devils, by Robb Waters.

Model for the Fairgrounds Clown by Brendan George.

The "High Striker!" poster.

Dirctions for the Fairgrounds and raffle.

Dirctions for the Fairgrounds and raffle.

In-Game Images

Game booths at the Fairground.

Another view of the Fairgrounds.

Citizens enjoying Cotton Candy.

A live music band

The clown at the Raffle Fair.

Test your strength!

Underage newsboys on a smoke break.

Robert and Rosalind at the Raffle and Fair, asking Booker to flip a coin.

Robert and Rosalind at the Raffle and Fair.

Bugs / Glitches

•      The large replica of the Possession bottle by the respective booth can be used by the player to get out of the map. The player must jump on it from a certain angle, then from the bottle jump to the side of the booth and then over the barrier. This allows the player to skip the raffle and no enemies will spawn. Also, if the player uses this glitch, the game will consider that you went to the raffle and chose to throw the ball at the interracial couple as Flambeau will appear at Battleship Bay with a Gear.
•      It is possible to glitch the game to earn enough money to purchase the Bucking Bronco sample from the Veni! Vidi! Vigor! machine. It involves blocking the gate during the coin toss so it does not close. Returning to New Eden Square will cause the carnival game prizes to reset, also allowing machines to be re-Possessed. Does this repeatedly will eventually earn enough funds to purchase the Vigor. However, it will have odd effects since the NPCs in the Fair are not coded for combat.

Behind the Scenes

• The booths play various Scott Joplin compositions.
• The live band plays "Wild Prairie Rose", an original song written by Jessy Carolina and performed by her band Ommie Wise.
• The fairground mini-games were intended to provide an optional introduction to the game's weapon systems without using tutorials that interrupt the flow of the game. In addition, it helped to introduce the Vox Populi as enemies of the Founders.

"Defeat the Red Coats" sign and cutout.

• Much of the fair's signage was designed by Laura Zimmermann.
  • Zimmerman also designed a sign for a fourth carnival game named "Defeat the Red Coats", a reference to the British army uniform used during the American Revolutionary War. But it was cut from the final version of the game. As the text on the sign says "Throw back their own shots!" it seems likely that this carnival game would be similar to Cast Out the Devil and train the player how to use the Vigor Return to Sender.

The bass texture, with the copyright text in the bottom right corner (enlarged in the top right corner).

• The live music band's shadows does not display the shadows of the instruments they play.
  • The texture file for the double bass played by the woman in the band shows the barely-visible text "Copyright ©2006 Ma" on the bottom of the lower bout. The wood texture where the text is present is presumably from some unknown stock image and left there by accident. It might also just be a developer oversight, as this is not seen during normal gameplay and what is displayed on the bottom of the double bass simply looks like random marking, as the text is displayed twice, mirrored, partially over-lapsed by each other, and covered by the end pin. The double bass model is reused during Burial at Sea.