Erie County Fair
erie county fair fair held hamburg erie county new york every august based attendance statistic erie county fair second largest fair new york fourth largest county fair north america often drawing one million attendance town hamburg police erie county ny sheriff office besides security guard fair patroller erie county agricultural society private profit membership corporation established called niagara county horticultural society held first fair site donovan office building buffalo one year later niagara county split erie niagara county agricultural society erie county agricultural society oldest civic community member organization erie county time history fair event held world war ii due rationing supply war effort fair briefly renamed america fair early mids effort expand fair beyond erie county since renamed erie county fair region first agricultural society founded goal sponsoring county fair promote education competition among farmer goal realized first fair held buffalo waterfront dr cyrenius chapin one buffalo active energetic pioneer elected president fledgling organization location near terrace main street current site one canalside enthusiasm annual farmer’s holiday shortcut local farmer lost interest due poor travel condition downturn economy community collective focus building erie canal opening canal village buffalo quickly grew size economic stature becoming city holding fair erie county agricultural society reactivated sponsored fair held lafayette square ground erie county court house earnest endeavor since year passed without fair fair postponed due world war ii rationing gasoline vital commodity fair would held within buffalo citylimits time urban expansion facilitated move country location fair marked first year fair held outside city buffalo making debut village aurora lancaster hosted fair september fairgoers able take specially scheduled train fare cent buffalo returning lancaster p p saw fair held east hamburgh orchard park fair held enclosed ground cold spring october fair returned aurora year distinguished two important circumstance history ag society first first time admission fee ⁄ cent imposed secondly year famed newspaper editor candidate president horace greeley spoke main attraction greeley noted famous admonition go west young man go west speech fair practical talk – drainage use tile canning fruit coming vogue act state legislature april provided thorough organization agricultural society meeting society group technically dissolved immediately reorganized act agricultural society leased term ten year lot near indian church called indian church road south buffalo near west seneca held fair september minute speak holding fair society ground near whitmores tavern record change location found must refer ground near indian church site evidently change committee appointed locate site nearer city premise would society interest acceptable citizen buffalo direction hiram white fair held halfmile track cold spring meeting held september resolution passed hold fair town fitting necessary ground offering best pecuniary inducement annual meeting january informal ballot upon location next fair taken springville received aurora vote consequence fair year held springville ground union agricultural society fair nomadic way would soon end springville fair agricultural society would receive offer would change history forever january luther titus hamburg went annual meeting springville offered behalf hamburg driving park association use new halfmile track ground office building seat free charge holding next annual fair vote fair moved hamburg held first exposition year society purchased first acre land maria naomi clark george pierce present site society ground original site hamburg driving park association land society began develop property permanent home erie county agricultural society held annual fair original society reorganized state legislative act fair held given number one board manager took action incorporate first fair plus one fair added count held conjunction new york state fair th fair held fair held due wwii pioneer fair fully documented number official numbering system making fair th erie county agricultural society held th edition fair fair highlighted highwire walk fairground nik wallenda crossed niagara fall tightrope two year prior july tornado ripped hamburg fairground shattering dozen car window blowing tree branch blowing park bench onto building damage fairground estimated u million repair fairground completed time fair held scheduled fair celebrated year “giant wheel” ferris wheel part strates show traveling midway giant wheel continues serve main icon fair towering strates show midway annually august attendance th erie county fair shy million visitor second highest attendance fair history behind fair august attendance th erie county fair set time attendance record visitor broke previous record set back th erie county fair showed sign slowing future year attendance nearly visitor previous year fair fair featured new ride commemorate th anniversary midway provider strates show show featured new ride frisbee crazy mouse roller coaster legendary sky wheel show hasn’t featured year st erie county fair originally set run august – postponed result covid pandemic st fair held following year august postponement erie county fair mark second time since fair cancelled world war ii fair cancelled support patriotic rationing gasoline vital wartime commodity fair returned following year record breaking attendance erie county fairground fair horse racing convention complex located hamburg ny hosted annual erie county fair since building ground acre permanent building structure oldest octagon building showplex green park baker slade fry hickory tree buffalo raceway buffalo raceway renowned horse race venue known primarily harness racing james j dunnigan resident hamburg new york responsible opening raceway far back june entrepreneur chose hamburg’s erie county fairground location project undertook state new york approved bill permitting harness racing parimutuel betting system hamburg gaming hamburg gaming erie county fairground hamburg ny feature gaming machine main gaming floor outdoor gaming patio festival light december festival experience includes drivethrough light display visit santa live reindeer new santa christmas express train ride illuminated pixel show choreographed music outdoor european market stock car racing one half mile oval premise hosted one eight inaugural stock car race become nascar cup series jack white nearby lockport ny victor return series hamburg racing pioneer dick linder erie county fair official website