The Fairgrounds

"I find a Burger Tank in this place? I'm a be a one-man cheeseburger apocalypse!"

- Coach

"Holy shit guys! Kiddie Land!"

- Ellis

The Fairgrounds is the second chapter in Left 4 Dead 2 ' s, Dark Carnival campaign. It was first revealed at the Penny Arcade Expo and again in Tokyo Game Show '09. The chapter contains a Gauntlet Crescendo that requires the Survivors to open a gate by switching on a power box, which also activates a nearby carousel that attracts hordes of Infected until it is shut down. The safe room at the end of the level is in the Tunnel Of Love.

Campaign
When starting from this chapter, the AI Survivors will usually grab...


 * Nick will grab a Submachine Gun.
 * Ellis will grab a Submachine Gun.
 * Rochelle will grab a Submachine Gun.
 * Coach will grab a Pump Shotgun or a Chrome Shotgun, depending on what is available in that saferoom.

Otherwise, they will keep the weapons they had in the last chapter (see The Highway for a list of weapons they will grab there).

Players exit the safe room and head towards the park entrance. At this point players with sniping or hunting or assault-type rifles can mop up the many Common Infected milling around. The guard house to the right is a regular spawn point for pistols, pills, melee weapons and sometimes special ammuniton. Beyond the ticket offices to the left are restrooms and a refreshment building, both of which may contain more helpful items. After checking them and passing kiosks and game pavilions (during which time they will probably make the acquaintance of squeaky-shoed Clowns causing unseemly excitement amongst highly strung and noise sensitive Common Infected) players come across a brightly-lit, interactive shooting gallery.

(Note that meleeing ten Clowns wins an Achievement.)

Here the player can (if so desired) acquire Gnome Chompski to get the 'Guardin' Gnome' Achievement. On the counter there are often several adrenaline shots and on the picnic tables near the gallery is an ammo stack. Both will be helpful in the upcoming game. Pressing the button starts the gallery and have all players open fire. After the players accumulate 750 points the prize box will open. Gnome Chompski is a static object that only does minor knock-back damage and blocks about a third of the carrier's field of vision. Fortunately he cannot be destroyed, although he can be irretrievably dropped or launched away when Special Infected attack. He must be set down in a safe place when music cues signal Hordes and Tanks and other players warned when he is left unattended.
 * Shoot burglars with bags of peanuts for points.
 * Shoot two burglars of the same color for a bonus.
 * Shoot Moustachio for even more points.
 * Don't shoot Lil' Peanut.

Once finished with the shooting gallery (and the Horde that spawns on winning) players pass the food tents and enter the storage warehouse through its back entrance. Tables inside the second room yield Tier 2 weapons and Propane Tanks and Gas Cans are often found in the building too.

This area spawns both Witches and Tanks so teams need to stay alert. Back outside beneath a canopy is a table with additional guns and combustible items such as Gas Cans. These are useful to throw down the incline giving onto Kiddy Land to deal to a Horde or the gaggle of Common Infected loitering nearby. A pipe bomb can often be found in the bushes to the right of the incline.

Kiddy Land is thickly populated with Common Infected and is a favorite hangout for a Witch.

Players thread their way through the rides towards the far left corner of the park, raiding the snack shack for items before using the alley near the payphone to get around back.

The panel truck parked at the end of the alley and nearby buildings provide several opportunities for valuable items such as Tier 2 weapons so players are well advised glean the area thoroughly. At the end of the way is a room with an ammo stack, weapons and first aid box. Up the stairs is a ladder to the roof where more Tier 2 weapons and pills can be found in a nearby storage area.

Players then traverse the roof until they arrive at the top of the big slide. From this vantage point snipers can ply their trade on the Common Infected in the area below.

(Note that although it is possible to ride down the slide, this is not advised for players holding Gnome Chompski because glitches can result in Chompski falling out of reach or, more rarely, the player dying.) The better plan is thus to descend using the stairs. Teams must be on high alert since this is another common Tank spawning area. He comes from the building on the right and if the team is camped at the top of the stairs he comes up them - making him an attractive target right from the off.

Once down off the slide, players proceed up the stairs near the restrooms and should check out the room on the left for a first aid station, ammo and weapons. The restroom balcony is ideal for sniping the many Common Infected loitering near the carousel below (returning to the previous room to restock on ammo if required) after which they jump down and locate the carousel's power switch.

Starting the ride initiates this chapter's Crescendo Event, so the team must crowd at the gate and wait for it to open wide enough to slip through. The actual sprint to the off switch on the far side of the ride is very easy and relatively free of Infected on Normal setting. In fact It is only once players arrive at the alcove housing this switch that the Horde pitch up in large numbers. Combat around the alcove and picnic tables is furious close quarter stuff and players with melee weapons (like the Katana) will not go short of healthy exercise.

Once all is quiet, the picnic tables can be checked for anything useful and the team can head towards the safe room in the Tunnel of Love which is entered by jumping over the queue lines outside.

Be forewarned, it is fairly common for a Witch to spawn right in front of the safe house door. When playing co-op this is a routine problem (e.g. a shotgunner can Cr0wn her or everyone can simultaneously light her up from a convenient distance). But when playing solo (and on low health) it may be worthwhile to let a Bot "take one for the team" rather than the human player opening fire or attempting to sneak past her. A human player merely needs get within the vicinity of the Tunnel entrance whereupon a Bot will attempt to enter the safe room heedless of the Witch's warning growls until she has been startled and attacks the hapless Bot.