Cotton candy has been a long time favorite treat at fairs, amusement parks, and theme parks. The first machine made cotton candy dates back to the turn of the 20th century and was perfected mid-century just in time for America's Baby Boom and the proliferation of amusement parks and theme parks from coast to coast. The sugar treat is a must have for many park-goers.
		For the 1980 season Six Flags Great Adventure invested in two new prefabricated cotton candy and popcorn stands for the park. One was placed in front of the Aqua Stadium and the other was placed at the end of the Fortune Festival games area. These two stands were identical except for the color of the wood paneled siding surrounding the buildings.
The Fortune Festival stand, named Games Cotton Candy, was a simple boxy structure with lighted signs and chasing bulbs to draw attention to the venue.  The lights also matched the running bulbs of the neighboring games area which itself was destroyed by a fire during the off season in December 1981.  Games Cotton Candy survived the fire since it sat far enough away from Fortune Festival as to not be engulfed in the blaze.  For 1982, the area was rebuilt as the Goodtimes Alley games area and the stand lived on.  The stand attracted a lot of guests but the sweet sugary cotton candy also tended to draw yellow jackets, necessitating flying insect traps be installed around the edge of the building to help minimize the chances of guests being chased by stinging insects.
		The stand not only sold snacks but also produced the cotton candy and popcorn for the vendors that walked around the park and through the show venues prior to the start of a show. In 1991, Great Adventure started to concentrate on dividing the park into distinct areas and theming each with cohesive rides and attractions.  The Goodtimes Alley games square became the Boardwalk area and as part of the redo the Games Cotton Candy stand was removed.  In 1992, after twelve years of service Games Cotton Candy was replaced by a much more permanent structure named Boardwalk Cotton Candy.
Original Spotlight:  May 16, 2018.  GAH Reference #:  FOOD-1980-002